Against all odds, Sheetal Devi has emerged as a shining example of inspiration. Hailing from Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, this remarkable young woman, with no of arms, has etched her name in history as the world’s top para archer. At the age 16, Sheetal stands as a testament to the power of determination, grit, and resilience.
When the tough gets going Sheetal doesn’t back down from the challenge and faces it with her innocent smile and her determination to rule the archery world with her feet. Being the first armless women archer, Sheetal showed everyone that she is no less than anyone by winning two gold medals and a silver at the recent Asian Para Games.
As Sheetal’s list of accomplishments continues to grow, she has tasted social media fame in the last couple of years. The videos of her executing the aim with her feet are viral on various social media platforms.
Behind this incredible success is an inspirational story which has been years in the making. She was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder that causes under-developed limbs, while in her case it was stubby hands. Sheetal found her strength in her feet as she continues to live her life like any other normal being. Her first dream was to become a teacher but when archery came into her life everything changed completely.
At one stage in life, Sheetal and her family wanted a normal life for her so they travelled to Bangalore to get prosthetics help for her. She tried the prosthetic hands but due to their weight, it got difficult for her to use them effectively.
However, during the tough time, she got a guiding light in Preethi, Being You: Against all odds, who supported her alongside the coaches at Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra.
Sheetal told News18 Sports how Preethi and her coaches motivated her during the tough times.
“Preethi didi and coaches motivated me a lot, I have reached here all because of their support. If they were not part of my journey I don’t think I would have reached here,” she told News18 Sports.
“I don’t even know how I reached here, it’s all god’s blessings and the hardwork which my coaches have put behind me,” she said.
Meanwhile, Preethi also revealed how she and her team convinced Sheetal to take up the sport after realising her potential.
“When we first met her in Bengaluru in 2021, Sheetal was keen to only have prosthetic hands. After a lot of convincing, she decided to take up sports. I and my team and I were convinced that Sheetal had all the qualities and abilities to become an athlete. With the help of GoSports, we reached out to sports physio Srikanth Iyengar and he recognised her sublime core strength, which she had developed while regularly climbing trees in her village and that is how it was decided that she should take up archery,” said Preethi at the event of book cover launch of Being You: Against all odds, featuring Sheetal.
After achieving the number 1 ranking in para-archery, Sheetal has now set her eyes on the ultimate price at the Paralympics.
“I have my eyes on the Paris Paralympics. I am putting all efforts to ensure that the Indian flag flies high on the podium and I bring back as many medals as possible,” Sheetal said.
The 16-year-old will continue to train for the forthcoming competitions at the Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, which has constantly supported the para archer since she took up the sport. Keeping the funds going has always been a formidable task.
As she has already started preparing for the Paralympics, her focus now is following her training regime. “My present form, diet and focus align with what I need to do to train for the Paris Paralympics 2024. I will continue to improve my game and focus on acing it there,” she said.
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