Teen ‘midnight’ runner’s dream sees light of day

Video of 19-year-old Pradeep Mehra’s midnight runs, captured by filmmaker and author Vinod Kapri, went viral last month

19-year-old Pradeep Mehra of Almora, who works as a cook at a Noida eatery, harboured a dream of joining the Indian army. And in order to prepare himself for the test, the youngster jogged the 10km distance between his workplace and home every night as part of his fitness regime.

19-year-old Pradeep Mehra, dubbed ‘midnight runner’, was accorded a scholarship to train at Minerva Academy in pursuit if his dream of joining the Indian army. (HT Photo)

Mehra says he would also help in household chores and look after his ailing mother and an elder brother, while simultaneously juggling his work and training. A recent social media video showed him running along the streets of Noida at the end of his shift at the eatery to prepare for the army.

The only time he could give to improving his fitness and agility was in the middle of the night. Video of his midnight runs, captured by filmmaker and author Vinod Kapri, last month went viral within a few hours and Mehra won many hearts and drew attention from Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj.

Bajaj tweeted that he was able to speak to the youngster, who agreed to train at the Minerva Academy in Mohali under a three-year scholarship that was part of an existing scheme to train people to join the army.

Speaking on providing Mehra a platform to work towards his goals, the former footballer said, “It was my duty to give him the opportunity to someone who wants to serve our country. I am happy to contribute my bit to the hard-working boys who do not have the right platform. It’s my duty to provide it.”