‘THIS MEDAL PROVES NO DISABILITY CAN STOP ME FROM EXCELLING’
Avani Lekhara’s feat comes after numerous sacrifices, and she hopes that this will inspire generations to come
All eyes were glued to the television, as 19-yearold para shooter Avani Lekhara scripted history on Monday by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics. A delighted Lekhara says, “I want people to look at me and feel that if Avani can do it, then why can’t we? No one should feel sad about their disability. This medal proves that no disability can stop me from excelling in what I want to do.”
A student of BA LLB, Lekhara juggled sports and academics to reach where she’s today. “I’ve been training for the past six years. Amid the pandemic, I built a target set-up at home. I’ve not attended my college because of my training. To put aside my studies and focus completely on the sport has been the hardest sacrifice. I’ve missed my friends’ reunions, birthdays and other parties. But it was my parents and brother who were my biggest support system throughout all this,” she adds.
She’s received a lot of congratulatory calls and messages on her win. But the “most special congratulatory call came from our Prime Minister”. She adds, “(Narendra) Modi ji congratulated me and wished me luck for the future. It felt like a moment of a lifetime,” shares the 19-year-old rifle shooter from Jaipur, adding that her inspiration on the field has been Olympian Abhinav Bindra. “He is my inspiration. I’ve always wanted to win a gold medal just like him,” she adds.
Lekhara says when she took the winning shot, she “wasn’t thinking about the medal”. “I was just focusing on my shot. But to win gold on my debut in the Games feels special,” she says.
The gold medallist feels glad to be put on an equal pedestal as other athletes. She says, “The treatment to Paralympians has been on a par with other athletes. We are treated equally in terms of getting endorsements, ads sponsorships and financial aids.”
Ask her about the first thing she wants to do upon reaching India, and she replies, “I’ll take rest, meet my friends and family and give my college exams. I want to have my favourite kadhi chawal when I reach home.”
I have missed my friends’ reunions, birthdays and other parties because I was practising all the time. AVANI LEKHARA, Para shooter