India’s stellar performance in the Paris Paralympics 2024 proves how our gritty
athletes overcame their disabilities and hardships with élan and aplomb
“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.” Helen Keller, iconic American deaf-mute author.
They sprang from their starting blocks like Tigers...feline Tigress Simran and her ‘eyes’; her newly-found Guide, let’s call him Tiger Abhay the fearless. They were determined to make a difference after a sequence of very close misses...and their body language...rippling muscles...electrifying pace left no doubt about their intent this time around...none whatsoever.
Time becomes an eternity...a nano-second becomes a century when a goal is critical. Bound to each other by endless practice... preparation... dreaing... hopes and by a coloured tether with loops at either end which allowed Abhay to be the eyes of Tigress Simran, the two athletes despite their height variation, matched pace for paceruthlessly, relentlessly, jointly.
Just before Simran’s last ecstatic leap, Abhay checked his pace.She responded with the precision of a Swiss clock...lunged forward...her ecstasy; her tears of joy turning to Boney M’s famous pop-song The Rivers of Babylon...The Bronze was theirs...the first ever for India at any Paralympics over 200 meters. They hugged...skipped...danced...Simran, her husband-coach Naik Gajendra, Abhay. She’d clocked 24.75 seconds; just nano-seconds away from Silver or Gold. Oh wow!
Grit and glory,
With hard work,
Write your story.
Overall, India with 29 medals was placed a very credible 18th – a staggering eight places above our Paralympics Tokyo 2020 and with ten more medals.
To get you into ‘Gay, romantic Paree’ mode and the buoyant Indian camp of high performersso soon after the disappointments of the Summer Olympics there, I feel just the example of feisty 24 year old Simran Sharma and her struggles with destiny will suffice. She speaks for the other brave hearts – winners and also-rans combined but all high-grade athletesthat placed India before all other considerations…the India of their dreams.
Simran is from Ghaziabad,UP. A premature birth at six months led to crippling visual impairment and half-formed ears. She became the butt end of cruel taunts, off-colour jokes and social isolation. If God doesn’t give you everything, he never leaves you without courage, determination and an attitude to fight back; prove your worth. Challenges convert into best friends not stumbling blocks. She took her limitations as a badge of pride with her father her major support. He made her realize she could fly in the sky of her dreams. She believed she was Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and her intuitive mother became her strongest supporter. You’re a winner, she would whisper when kissing, hugging her little girl to sleep… “Tum shikhar ke liye bani ho. Tum hogi kaamyab ek din; hamen pura hai vishwas”.Her journey was full of obstacles but that attitude: ‘Let my leg break but I will run and win’ became her Gayatri Mantra; her oft-repeated prayers.
Her talent, grit, single-minded focus was thus nurtured and she grew strong, independent, disciplined and passionate about doing her best. In an environment
loaded with criticism, she created a core team of her supporters from parents to husband Gajendra Singh and ‘buddy’ Abhay - fearless like his name. Her hubby and Abhay came as a gift of providence…at the right time and with the right uplifting temperament she needed.
Step-by-step,
Hand-in-hand,
Time and grit created
Victory so grand…
Readers may benefit by a primer on the Olympics. There is a Summer and then a Paralympics and Winter Olympics held every four years. Guess what! I and my little family will attend the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles! We are coming for your Gold, Simran! Just Do It! The Olympics is an amalgamation of sports and culture dating back 2800 years to ancient Greece which showcased its festivals (honouring God Zeus) as alsoa display of famous sports including the marathon, shorter races, gymnastics, music, dance, archery, javelin and discus throws. Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 ADbanned the Olympics out of sheer suspicion that it encouraged paganism. France brought about a revival of the Olympics in the modern era. Baron Pierre de Coubertin took the plunge to revive the thread of our inherited legacy and organised the first Olympic Congress at Grand Amphitheatre, Sorbonne University from 16 to 23 June 1894. This initiative led to the creation of the International Olympics Committee (IOC). It promoted a holistic approach integrating physicalwith mental well-being. This led to creation of goodwill, gender equality and fierce competition among nations for Olympics honours. This tendency continues on a world platform with Indian performances picking up only lately. This is where the Paris Paralympics has set standards of world class achievement.
Let us go back to Simran and her support group. She won Silver medals at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 in both 100m & 200m (T12) category; Gold medal in 200 metres in the World Championship in Kobe, Japan in May 2024.In her battle to gain excellence in short races, her shield and strength is her coach and husband, Naik Gajendra Singh, who rendered her financial support by taking loans and much-needed emotional support. Life becomes a package of blessings for women who get unsolicited encouragement from loved ones and close friends to motivate them. Simran thus has God and his blessings on her side. She is fortunate.
Her Guide Abhay is her super-buddy; an outstanding 18 year old ace athlete who has extended fearlessand literal hand-in-hand support to her...an act of providence wherein they bond like two souls connected with the same rhythm of excellence trained with dedication by Gajendra.
Abhay became
Her eyes and fate.
A twin flame,
Won the race.
Abhay is an Asian Youth Bronze medallist and under-18 national record holder in 200 metres. He has a personal ambition to become Gold medal class and seeks the same for Simran at apex level sporting championships. Simran laughingly says; ‘Abhay is half my body because we cannot win without that kind of brilliant synchronisation between runner and Guide. Husband Gajendra vociferously agrees and hugs Abhay.
It was a rhythmic journey of two individuals who stepped and stopped like one person. Abhay got along flawlessly with buddy Simran. She gives him deep respect as she feels that her Bronze medal is not an individual achievement but something special belonging to her trinity; she, her Guide and her hubby.
India recorded 29 medals - seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze medals after ten days of Paralympics. Simran of late has been getting financial aid from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), a Govt institute of sporting excellence working closely with sports bodies. She thus has easy access to stadia, medical aid and institutional support for attending camps and tournaments abroad. She isin a ‘serious fun’ zone and is delighted.
The topping for the proud 29 Paralympics athletes and support staff on 13 Sep 2024 was the honour of a Champions Chai Pe Charcha with Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi at his residence. The PM heard each story of trials, tribulations and triumph with rapt attention. The glow on the faces of the Simran-Abhay-Gajendra trio was incandescent and full of pride and happy tears…like the soulful Rivers of Babylon.
Before bidding them farewell, PM Modi said that there was an ‘X’ factor that separates winners from all others…They never ever give up despite being taunted and ridiculed. They treat each obstacle with guts, grit, resolve and positivity. They invest in ‘doing’ not ‘complaining’ and they dream big; achieve big. They are proud Indians; winning Indians. There was emotion, nodding heads, happy tears and proud smiles all round. India had been honoured by its very best. The PM of India had lauded its brave-hearts.
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By Vishali Garg
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