At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Deepthi Jeevanji etched her name in history as the first Indian athlete with an intellectual impairment to secure a Paralympic medal.
The 20-year-old earned a bronze in the women’s 400m T20 category on Tuesday, clocking a time of 55.82 seconds. She finished just behind Ukraine’s Yulia Shuliar, who recorded 55.16 seconds, and Turkiye’s Ayser Onder, who crossed the line in 55.23 seconds.
Reflecting on her performance, Deepthi shared, “I was exhausted during the race, and my body struggled to adjust to the time difference from India.”
The T20 category is designated for athletes with intellectual disabilities, and Deepthi’s participation was groundbreaking for India, as she became the first-ever Indian athlete with such a condition to compete in the Paralympics.
She faces cognitive difficulties that impact her communication and comprehension skills.Hailing from a small village in Telangana, Deepthi’s early life was fraught with hardships.
People in her village advised her parents to abandon her because of her appearance, but they remained steadfast, supporting her despite financial struggles. Deepthi expressed her joy, saying, “I’m thrilled with my first Paralympic medal, and my parents are overjoyed and proud.”
Her talent came to light at the age of 15, when coach N. Ramesh recognized her potential. Since then, her progress has been nothing short of remarkable. She is the current Para World Champion and won gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games.
During the World Championships, she set a world record of 55.07 seconds, which was broken by Onder, who ran 54.96 seconds in the heats at Paris 2024.
Deepthi’s bronze marked India’s 16th Paralympic medal at Paris 2024 and the country’s sixth in athletics.
Other notable Indian achievements include Sumit Antil’s gold in men’s javelin throw F64, along with silver medals for Nishad Kumar in men’s high jump T47 and Yogesh Kathuniya in men’s discus throw F56.
Preethi Pal also secured two bronze medals in the women’s 100m and 200m T35 events.
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