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11yr Old Can’t Walk! Became First Female Gold Medalist in Paralympics
Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges at us. While most of us might struggle or stumble, Avani Lekhara takes these challenges head-on with remarkable precision and strength.
Just this Friday, she made history again at the Paralympics, winning her second gold in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event. Her compatriot Mona Agarwal also delivered an impressive performance in 2024 Paralympics game, securing the bronze medal in women’s 10m air rifle for India.
However, this isn’t the first time that Avani made India proud. Back in Tokyo, three years ago, when most of us were just trying to figure out how to bake bread during a pandemic, Avani was out there rewriting history. At just 22, she shot a fantastic 249.7, breaking her own previous record of 249.6, established three years ago during the Tokyo Games.
But, this isn’t just a story about winning medals. It’s a story about strength and determination. Imagine an 11-year-old girl on a road trip with her family from Jaipur to Dholpur. Everything was normal until their car suddenly skidded and flipped over. In that moment, Avani Lekhara life changed forever.
The doctors said she had spinal cord damage, which left her paralyzed from the waist down. For almost six months after the accident, she couldn’t get out of bed, her mother shared with (The Times of India). How does such a young girl handle such difficult news? She turned inward, became quieter, and fought her battles privately, showing strength that no one could see.
Yet, somewhere in those solitary moments, something sparked. Avani picked up a rifle in 2015. And she hasn’t put it down since. By 2017, she was competing internationally, and by 2021, she stood on the Paralympic podium in Tokyo, not once, but twice!
She won a gold medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event and a bronze in the Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH. This made her the first Indian woman shooter to win multiple medals at a single Paralympics.
And here she is now, rewriting her own script with another gold in SH1 category in 10m air rifle game of Paralympics 2024. The SH1 is a Paralympic shooting category. Athletes in this class use either a pistol or a rifle to compete.
The Summer Paralympics, also known as the Paris Paralympic Games, are held every four years, along with the Winter Paralympic Games.
