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Birthday tragedy: Covid took my father, says racer
17 Apr
Summary
- Puja, a contestant, revealed her father died from Covid.
- She contracted Covid herself while working in emergency medicine.
- Puja experienced guilt, believing she brought the virus home.

A contestant on a global travel competition became visibly distressed as she remembered her father, who succumbed to Covid-19. The poignant moment occurred while Puja, a doctor, and her cousin Roshni were traveling through Turkey on Puja's 32nd birthday.
Puja explained that her father's passing during the pandemic significantly altered her perception of birthdays. As an emergency medicine professional, she had a close encounter with the virus, contracting it herself while treating critically ill patients in December 2021.
Her father fell ill and was hospitalized, an experience Puja described as heart-wrenching. She expressed profound guilt, feeling responsible for unknowingly bringing Covid-19 into her home and contributing to her father's infection, a struggle she continues to face.
Puja and Roshni were the first pair eliminated from the current series, which spans over 12,000km from Sicily to northern Mongolia. Viewers shared their empathy online, highlighting Puja's sacrifice and that of other frontline workers.