He Fell from the Sky—But Rose Stronger: Bengaluru Man Runs Again After Leg Amputation
Imagine freefalling from 12,500 ft—and your parachute doesn’t open. For Austin Prakash, a seasoned skydiver from Bengaluru, this terrifying scenario became reality in 2022. The impact of the failed jump shattered both his legs, forcing a long and painful recovery. After eight surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and a serious infection, Austin made the life-altering decision to amputate one leg in July 2024.
But Austin didn’t stop there. In May 2025, eight months post-amputation, he participated in the Wings for Life World Run in Dubai—a global race supporting spinal cord injury research, with no set finish line. Using prosthetics and crutches, he walked 2.3 km in 39 minutes. “It wasn’t about distance—it was about showing up,” he said.
Before the accident, Austin was a man driven by speed and adventure—both as a tech entrepreneur with a trading startup in Bengaluru and as a thrill-seeker in the sky and on racetracks. Stranded in Dubai during the Covid-19 lockdown, he resumed skydiving once restrictions eased—only for fate to ground him hard.
Yet, as Austin says, “It wasn’t the fall that defined me. It was everything I did after.” Refusing to let trauma reshape his identity, he chose resilience. “The only difference is that I don’t have legs. I’m still the same guy.”
His message: Inspiration doesn’t come from scrolling—it’s built quietly, in your circle, in your choices.
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