In May 2020, during the peak of India’s COVID shutdown, 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari catapulted to international fame by cycling over 700 miles from Gurugram to her home village of Sirhulli in Bihar, carrying her injured father on the back of the hot pink bike she’d bought for $20. Now 22 years old, the global applause has faded, leaving her facing the stark realities of rural poverty, broken political promises, and the ongoing struggle to secure an education and a stable livelihood.
The Journey That Captivated the World
The arduous trek began out of desperation. Mohan Paswan, Kumari’s father, had spent 20 years driving an autorickshaw in Gurugram near Delhi, sending money back to his wife and five children in Bihar. In January 2020, he suffered a debilitating road accident. Five months later, with authorities having shut down public transportation for the pandemic lockdown and funds for food and rent rapidly depleting, the family realized they could no longer survive in the city.
Refusing to leave her father behind, Kumari attached a pad to the main seat of her bicycle and pedaled for seven consecutive days on a relatively empty stomach to bring him home. The feat drew global headlines, sparking wide-ranging promises of cash rewards, training for a career as a cyclist, and even a movie deal, according to previous reporting by NPR.
Promises Left Unfulfilled
Looking back from her home in Bihar, Kumari notes that many promises were not kept. Politicians who made promises, saying they would give money for her sports or education, did not give anything, she says.
The only funds that materialized came from individuals who extended help and a government award that came with a cash prize. Rather than funding a cycling career, the family pooled all the reward money into transforming their bare-brick dwelling into a livable home, complete with a toilet, a bathroom, and a running water connection. While secure housing is a vital shield against homelessness—an issue affecting an estimated 300,000 people in Bihar—it was what the family did to make their house livable.
Daily Hardship and Household Burdens
The family’s vulnerability deepened when Mohan Paswan died of a heart attack in May 2021, just months after his daughter brought him home. Financial security remains precarious. Kumari’s mother works as a cook, earning a meager income that supports Kumari and three of her siblings. An older sister has married and moved away, while an extended family member who previously assisted them can no longer help much due to his own familial obligations.
“There are days when we go to sleep hungry,” Kumari told NPR.
Her daily routine leaves little room for personal ambition. Starting at 7 a.m., she manages domestic chores—cooking breakfast, getting her younger brothers ready for school, cleaning, mopping, washing dishes, and doing laundry by hand—before she can even turn her attention to her books. She has yet to pass the final exam required to complete Class 12, the secondary school credential needed to apply for university or qualify for certain jobs.
Looking Forward from the Village
Despite her lingering love for cycling—which still represents the freedom of the open wind—she no longer has the time to ride for recreation or train as a competitive sport. Her bicycle is now used strictly for household errands.
Having witnessed firsthand the precarity of day labor through her father’s suffering, Kumari remains resolute about building her life in her native village rather than seeking employment in the big city. The family has quietly shifted its immediate hopes to her younger sister, who is scheduled to take her 12th-grade exams in mid-2027 in the hope of opening doors to higher education and steady work.
For Kumari, the lesson of her sudden celebrity is blunt. “When you’re poor, fame doesn’t help,” she said. “Only education can help you out of your difficulties. Otherwise, life becomes a never-ending obstacle course.”
