A 53-year-old single father recently participated in the Mumbai Hyrox fitness race as a tribute to his specially-abled son. Devang Gandhi’s inspirational story was documented in a now-viral video by Sports Lab of Masters’ Union.
In the video, a visibly-emotional Gandhi explained the deeply personal reason behind his fitness journey which began in 2024. The 53-year-old, who lost 30 kgs in 18 months, said that he started his fitness journey for his son, Rudra, who is specially-abled.
Because his son has special needs, Gandhi realised that he needed to be his primary caregiver for life.
“I have to outlive him. I have to live more than him so that I can take care of him. This fitness journey is not for me, it's for my son, Rudra,” the Indian father said in the video, choking up.
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Indian dad at Mumbai Hyrox
Hyrox is a global fitness race that combines running with functional workout stations, such as sled pushes, rowing, burpee broad jumps and sandbag lunges. The major fitness racing event ran from September 17 to 20, 2026 in Mumbai.
{{/usCountry}}Hyrox is a global fitness race that combines running with functional workout stations, such as sled pushes, rowing, burpee broad jumps and sandbag lunges. The major fitness racing event ran from September 17 to 20, 2026 in Mumbai.
{{/usCountry}}During the fitness race, Devang Gandhi got a really bad cramp and had to seek medical attention. Despite this, the 53-year-old managed to finish his first Hyrox race.
“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. I was literally rooting for him the entire time, and I wanted to see him win,” the narrator explained.
“But he had a really, really bad cramp on his leg and he had to go to the medical room. I thought he would give up.
“He was advised not to continue. It seemed impossible for him to finish. I really thought he would give up. And 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,” said the narrator.
Gandhi himself credited his son for the win. “I did it for my son, Rudra, a special-abled child,” he said.
(Also read: Hyrox says it will ban anyone threatening athlete who defecated mid-race)
Video goes viral
Gandhi’s video has gone viral with 1.7 million views on Instagram, along with thousands of emotional comments.
“Another example of Fathers are the Real Heroes,” wrote one person in the comments section.
“Another day of crying for strangers on the internet,” said another.
“To wish to outlive your child is perhaps one of the most painful things a parent could ever have to endure. I wish you a long, healthy, happy and deeply blessed life. May Rudra continue to be showered with abundant blessings, love and happiness always,” a viewer commented.
Gandhi himself commented on the video to thank Sports Lab for capturing his journey. “Thank you so much! You’ve captured this journey beautifully. This video means a lot to me — not just because of HYROX, but because of everything that went into getting here. Truly appreciate the time, effort and thought you’ve put into making this for me,” he wrote.