The table, chair and Mr Pydiramu

BANGALORE: In 1973, two rock stars gave one of the most fiery performances recorded in the history of music. Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder were both visually impaired but they did not let their disability dampen their spirits in any way. Creating soulful music by fusing rhythm and blues, these musicians truly achieved greater heights.Thirty-five-year-old K Pydiramu too believes that dreams are a vision to the future.An unfortunate victim of polio, this senior software engineer aspires to be a great sportsperson and role model for the future generation. In a candid conversation with City Express, the visionary talks about social responsibilities and his passion for sports.Pydiramu’s positive spirit kept him going against all odds in life. After recognising his talent, Cegedim had sponsored him to participate in the PTT Thailand Open Championship held in June 2011 in Bangkok. With his awe-inspiring performance, he won bronze medal both in singles and doubles table tennis, representing India in a global tournament.Said Pydiramu, “Well, I am from Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh but have been settled in Karnataka for the past sixteen years. And, I graduated in Computer Science. I have been working with Cegedim since 2005. I absolutely love the work culture here and have a great time with everyone. It is this motivation that keeps me going. Also, I am an ardent admirer of sports and love to play quite a few games.Aside from table tennis, I absolutely adore carrom, chess and cricket,” said the software engineer.” Embodying all the virtues of life, Pydiramu feels that in order to bring about drastic change in the society today, each and every person must make an equal contribution.“The initiative should arise only with the need for a change. And, once that is understood; going that extra mile to make an effort towards social responsibility becomes easy. When, I first joined Cegedim, everyone was sympathetic towards me because of my disability.And, I wished to change that. I tried to socialise with everyone and worked extremely hard to prove that I have talent. Gradually, the sympathetic attitude vanished and I was greeted with open arms. I have urged each and everyone to follow their dreams and break all barriers,” said the athlete.So, what would he consider his greatest achievement so far? Revealing his true desires, the multi-talented engineer said, “My most memorable moment so far would be my first wheelchair race at Kantaveera Stadium.I still have fond memories of the crowd cheering for every player. I bagged the silver medal that year. I would to achieve success in both professional and personal front in my life. Apart from spending time with my family, I am looking forward to the PTT Thailand Open 2012 and Paralympic Games 2012,” he further added.With his achievements, K Pydiramu has shown us all that humility is an essential attitude for success. After all as Scott Hamilton puts it,” The only disability in life is bad attitude.”