Even the smallest of positive thought, if pursued in the right direction, has the power to change not only the mindset but the entire lives of people. Something similar happened to Om Paithane, who is about to complete his inspirational journey from being an Ola cab driver to an Army cadet.
Paithane was so inspired by a passenger riding in his cab that he quit driving taxi. The remarkable story of Om Paithane from driving cab in Pune to being one of the 257 cadets at the prestigious Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai is an absolutely remarkable one and is going highly viral on the social media.
It was his incidental encounter with a retired colonel on one of his pickups for Ola that changed the direction of his life completely. Talking about his life and beautiful journey, Om told the Times of India:
“My father was a driver who had lost both his legs in a road accident and was working as a watchman. I had to support the family while studying for final year BSc computer science but I got arrears. So I started to drive for Ola. One day, a retired colonel hired my cab. We started to talk and he told me about the combined defence services examination and the endless opportunities it brings.”
The words of retired colonel stuck around his mind, and right after completing his graduation, he appeared in the entrance exam for joining the Army. Om succeeded in qualifying the exam in a single attempt. He further says:
“I made the first call to the retired officer when I got through. He was guiding me throughout. I remember the careless version of me. Though I enjoyed it, this life is better. The training has taught me discipline and manners, which I am proud of.”
Om Paithane’s inspirational story was shared by retired Major Gaurav Arya on his Twitter page. Here is the tweet:
An Ola driver in Pune is fighting poverty, earning for his family. One day he gets a passenger…an army colonel. They talk. The young driver is so motivated that he appears for SSB & joins OTA. Gentlemen Cadet Om Paithane will pass out on 10 March as an officer in Indian Army. pic.twitter.com/7z4YssANNr
— Major Gaurav Arya (@majorgauravarya) March 4, 2018
As the social media came to know about the exceptional story of Om Paithane, there was a huge response on Major Gaurav Arya’s tweet. Check the best of them below:
An Ola driver in Pune is fighting poverty, earning for his family. One day he gets a passenger…an army colonel. They talk. The young driver is so motivated that he appears for SSB & joins OTA. Gentlemen Cadet Om Paithane will pass out on 10 March as an officer in Indian Army. pic.twitter.com/7z4YssANNr
— Major Gaurav Arya (@majorgauravarya) March 4, 2018
Journey from OLA to OTA ! Salute!!!
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Top Most Characters of Mahabharata— Mani P (@manindr99110040) March 4, 2018
WOW. This is so inspiring.
— Deepika Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) March 4, 2018
The finest story I have heard. Great Guy this boy. Should become a General. And thank the motivating Colonel. He should continue to travel in OLA and not army jeep. 💐❤🇮🇳
— M. S. Srinivasa Rao (@macharajarao) March 4, 2018
Great! Now this is motivation.Salute to colonel n Om Paithane!
— Anita Sabharwal (@anita_sabharwal) March 4, 2018
God bless. We need such young men in armed forces
— nirupama pandey (@PandeyNirupama) March 4, 2018
On March 10, Om will be commissioned as a junior commissioned officer ready to command his battalion. And he is not the only inspiring cadet in the group that will be commissioned. There are two Army widows, a national level woman boxer, a representative of India in rugby, and a number of engineers.
