53-year-old dad pushes through pain, completes Mumbai Hyrox for specially-abled son
For most athletes, finishing a Hyrox race is a test of physical endurance. For 53-year-old Devang Gandhi, crossing the finish line in Mumbai carried a very different meaning; he wanted to stay strong enough to care for his specially-abled son, Rudra, for the rest of his life.
Devang started his fitness journey in 2024 and lost 30 kg over the next 18 months. His story was captured by Sports Lab of Masters’ Union in a video that has now crossed 1.7 million views on Instagram.
Speaking about what pushed him to change his lifestyle, Devang said his son's needs had made him think about the future in a way that was deeply personal.
“I have to outlive him. I have to live more than him so that I can take care of him,” he said, before adding, “This fitness journey is not for me, it's for my son, Rudra.”
That motivation eventually took him to his first Hyrox race. The narrator of the video said Gandhi had been working towards becoming fitter not simply for himself, but because he wanted to be capable of caring for his son in the long term.
For those unaware, Hyrox brands itself as "the World Series of Fitness Racing". It is a standardised indoor competition that combines 8 km of running with eight functional workout stations. The format is simple yet brutal. Athletes complete a 1 km run and reach a workout station, repeating the sequence eight times.
The stations typically include SkiErg (1,000m), sled push (50m), sled pull (50m), burpee broad jumps (80m), rowing (1,000m), farmers carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls.
“He was chasing his better self. He wanted to be better, he wanted to be more fit, just so that he could take care of his son forever,” the voice-over added.
The race, however, tested that resolve. Devang developed a severe cramp in his leg and was taken to the medical room. He was advised against continuing, leaving those watching unsure whether he would return to the course.
But, Devang eventually pushed through the pain and completed the race.
“As I was watching him be extremely tired, in a lot of pain, and at the brink of giving up, he drew all his strength just for this one cause. He finished it all for his son, Rudra,” the narrator said.
The video caption described Gandhi as a father on a “very special mission” whose only goal was “to be there for his specially abled son, forever."
“Talking to him truly shook me to my core,” the narrator wrote, ending the post simply: “To Rudra!”
Watch the inspiring video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sports Lab of Masters’ Union (@sportslab.mu)
Devang Gandhi himself commented on the viral video and thanked the team for capturing his journey.
The video has since drawn thousands of emotional comments, with viewers sending messages to Devang and Rudra and reacting to the father’s determination to finish the race despite being advised to stop.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Sep 21, 2026 16:32 IST
