How Getting Laid Off Put Atal Agarwal On Path Of Becoming An Iron Man

Atal Agarwal was on the 11th mile of his usual early morning run in the very chilly San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park when a message informed him that he has been laid off by the health technology firm he worked at. The H1-B visa holder became one of the thousands of employees who to be laid off in the last few weeks by American tech companies, as they tightened budgets facing a looming economic recession. 

Atal’s visa allows him a 60-day grace period to stay in the United States to find his next job. He says, “Being on a H1-B visa in the USA is like walking on eggshells constantly.” 

The similarities between Atal’s journey and most laid-off workers finish here. After frantically applying for jobs, he decided to confront his fears by opting for what is considered among the most extreme physical endurance triathlon races — the Ironman triathlon.

“Why would I want to live in fear? Hence, I decided to live my dreams. I signed up for the Ironman,” says Atal. 

Organised by the World Triathlon Corporation, an Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) bicycle ride, and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2 km) run completed in that order — a total of 140.6 miles (226.3 km) in one day. It takes anywhere between 12 to 17 hours to complete. Most participants train for at least three to six months for the challenge. 

Atal adds emphatically, “I was not thinking of it till I was laid-off. When everything is taken from you, one realises that there is nothing more to lose. I might have been the last one to register! It was just 20 days away and I went for it with no training. I must be the first IITian to complete the full Ironman race.” 

An engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), Atal came to the United States five years back for his masters at University of California, Santa Barbara. He had been working in product management for a health tech company since graduation. 

A ‘passionate’ person, he laughs as he describes himself, “I am a very obsessive person. I am a crazy guy. I am too intense when I want something, and I can break the whole universe to get it!” An avid lover of the outdoors, he can be often seen on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. “I bike every other day for more than 26 miles. I have biked for more than 3200 miles.” 

The icy waters of the Bay find him swimming from the Alcatraz Island to the city of San Francisco, a feat that he accomplished for the first-time last year after facing another setback. He remembers, “I had a near drowning experience last year as I didn’t know how to swim in deep waters. My kayak tipped over in Lake Tahoe and I was not wearing a life vest. I thought, ‘I will die today, so dumb of me to do this!’ But I survived and decided that I must learn how to swim. I would go to different pools and take tips from people around me. In three months, I became a self-taught swimmer!”

Atal’s layoff has proved to be a blessing in disguise as it gave him an opportunity to pursue other dreams. He describes, “Fate found me in this place, so I became a content creator. The first day I published a video of my layoff, I got a lot of response from my community. I continue documenting daily my laid-off life. My Day 4 post is — President Biden, where is my freedom?” He says he is ‘doubling down on writing a memoir’. 

From a modest family background, making it to IIT Kharagpur, becoming the head of the student body (Vice President, Technology Students Gymkhana) there, and then USA – Atal’s ambition is to work in the area of human health. 

“That day when I nearly drowned, I realised how badly I want to live and survive in this world. I have been through a lot of hardships, that’s why I want to help people. The way I look at it – in the 21st century we are living in a golden age as far as tech is considered. With my skills in tech and engineering, I want to build my own health start-up,” says Atal.

But Atal knows that first he must find a job if he wishes to continue working in the United States. 

“I have to begin my walk again — in search of food, clothing, and shelter,” says Atal. He contacted a few prospective companies the day he was laid off, “The first day I applied to three companies. I have had five interviews in three weeks. I vibed very well with a hiring manager. I shared my passions about building my own company with them. They seem very supportive of my vision. I wanted to move forward very quickly. They have offered me a role!” 

Now the newly anointed ironman is figuring out the paperwork for his H1-B visa transfer. 

True to his name, Atal was determined to not take his lay-off lying down. His drive brought him not only an extreme physical endurance title, but also a job that will endure and extend his American dream. 

Atal says, “India and America – there are unique things in both cultures and beauty on both sides of the world. I came to the US as an explorer to see what best it has to offer and make the most of it. We are all here to live our dreams.”