SHILLONG, April 27: Welkin Stone Shadap, a fourth-semester M.Sc. Botany student at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), is making headlines for his passionate efforts to raise awareness on critical social issues through long-distance walking campaigns.
At just 13 years old, he discovered his love for walking, often trekking 10-12 kilometers several times a month with his siblings and friends after Sunday church services. Today, he continues to embrace walking not just as a hobby but as a mode of commuting, covering an impressive 25 kilometers daily and spending about five hours on foot to promote fitness and reduce traffic congestion.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Sunday, Shadap shared that his passion for long-distance walking has only grown stronger over the years. He encourages friends and family to adopt walking as a healthy tradition, frequently organizing treks to inspire others.
Among his many achievements, the NEHU postgraduate student has completed remarkable journeys, including Nongstoin to Shillong, Guwahati to Shillong — both within a day — and Itanagar to Shillong, a trek he completed in just eight days.
He also set a milestone by entering the Asia Book of Records on January 26, 2023, for walking 101.54 kilometers in 19 hours and 33 minutes, covering the route from Mawiong Rim to Sohryngkham, back to Mawiong Rim, and onward to Saiden.
In another remarkable feat, he organised a walkathon from Itanagar to Shillong, covering 330 kilometers from Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar, to NEHU, Shillong, between September 30 and October 8, 2023.
The event was held under the theme “Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives: Walk Against Drugs.”
Shadap is now setting his sights even higher — aspiring to break the world record for walking 35,000 kilometers by completing 40,000 kilometers within four years.
“If the opportunity comes, I am determined to achieve this,” he confidently stated.
Beyond walking
Beyond his personal campaigns, Welkin Stone volunteers with the Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei (DKMS), an international non-profit organisation based in Germany that works to help patients battling blood cancer and blood disorders.
He has assisted the DKMS team in conducting awareness programmes and organising the first-ever blood stem cell donor registration drives in Meghalaya, connecting hundreds of people from across the Northeast to a global database of potential donors.
Having registered himself as a potential donor with DKMS in 2022, Shadap has played a key role in expanding the initiative. In 2023, he invited DKMS to host awareness sessions and registration drives, and in 2024, he helped coordinate with institutions such as Synod College to register new donors.
Earlier this month, he and the DKMS team successfully conducted a five-day blood stem cell donation drive at NEHU, resulting in nearly 500 new potential donors being added to the worldwide registry, ready to help patients in need across the globe.
Amidst the spate of negative news emanating from NEHU, Welkin Stone Shadap and others like him are a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, inspirational stories like his often do not make it to the headlines.
