On the evening of April 29, 1995, a 19-year young gentleman cadet suffered a near-fatal accident during his passing-out parade at the Indian Military Academy. The injuries were so grave that doctors declared he would not survive more than three days.
Today, Navin Gulia is an accomplished author, award-winning adventurer, philanthropist, motivational speaker and above all, a source of inspiration to many.
In 2004, he made it to the Limca Book of Records by becoming the first and only person to drive from Delhi to Marsimik La, the highest motorable pass in the world, driving nonstop for 55 hours. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious Awards including the Karmaveer Chakra, National Role Model Award, Global Indian of the Year, KavinCare Ability Mastery Award and many more.
In Quest of the Last Victory - This is the title of Mr Gulia's recent book. Gulia writes about all this and more in his book. He described it as the story “of an under-performing child who transforms himself through hard work to excel in sports and academics; of a young man, when left paralysed below the neck, uses the same qualities of self-motivation and the need to prove himself to claw his way up inch by inch.” True, as he journeyed from being a gangly kid with a load of self-doubt to a young adult who would forever try to make the cut, from an underdog to an achiever, life prepared Gulia for what was to come. He narrates it in anecdotes of meticulous detail with precise analyses. It is a story told well, with little mush. The book delineates his philosophy of acceptance without compromise. It gives you his concept of “infinite ability” and in some ways, lays out a blueprint for living life well.