On 7 September 2024, participating in the Paris Paralympics India’s 200 meters (T-12) medal hope, the young, pretty, petite, vision-impaired Simran Sharma Vats was ecstatic. She was in euphoria; in blissful and divine communion with her Gods; “Gajju! Hum ne Kar diya! Kar diya! Kar diya! We’ve done it! Done it! Done it!” Simran was exultant, crying, laughing and hugging her delighted, focused husband-cum-coach Gajendra (Gajju) Singh Vats on the Stade Charléty race track. She’d beaten her fiercely competitive younger rival, the taller, stronger, better-built Iranian athlete and flag bearer Safarzadeh Ghahderijani Hajar by a sliver of a second in a photo finish led by her Guide Abhay; had beaten a top athlete who’d won the Silver Medal in the women’s 400 meters (T-12) Paralympics event, narrowly missing the Gold two days ago.
She is the first woman in Indian Paralympics athletics history to win an Olympics medal in her (T-12) 200 meter category. Readers cannot be blamed if their minds swirl across time to 3rd century Syracuse, a Greek colony in Italy, where the famed mathematician/physicist Archimedes had shouted his ecstasy and joy from his bath tub on making his famous discovery of the Archimedes Principle by shouting Eureka! Eureka! Eureka! Through the mystified streets of Syracuse, he ran, overcome by his stellar achievement; thanking divinity for it.
Simran had also competed in her main event; the 100m (T-12) final, where she was disappointingly placed fourth, just missing qualification. She admitted that her performance was affected by hamstring pain, which weighed on her mind going into the 200m race. She was demoralised mentally and physically. Yet, in clinching the Bronze medal, Simran had clocked her personal best of 24.75s in her T-12 vision impaired category. Cuba’s Omara Durand, competing in her fifth Olympic Games, won the 200m race with a World Record timing of 23.62s. Alejandra Pérez of Venezuela won the silver medal with a timing of 24.19s. Hazar was placed fourth with a timing of 24.91s, a true photo finish, just 1/6th of a second behind Simran!
Gutsy Simran was skilfully abetted by Guide Abhay, himself a medal winning, superb and potentially world class athlete, already a big name in Under 18 Asian Junior Athletics in 200 meters. While running, he was linked to her by a short tether and was therefore “half the body of a vision impaired athlete rated T-12 like me. This grading means I can see the hand of my athlete guide who is tethered to me clearly at two meters” says Simran in quiet if nostalgic recall. It also meant that from about 10 meters onward, her vision was severely degraded. This is how she expressed her stark reality: "If he runs well, it will affect me. If he runs poorly, it will affect me. My guide Abhay therefore put in as much effort as me to win this medal.”
This is also the reason why, ahead of the 200m finals she says she was quite nervous, was in pain and worried as her main event which was 100m had brought her disappointment. “I was in tears and couldn't sleep before the event and this is where my Gajju took over. This is his medal also as much as it is mine. This is our medal," Simran added, looking lovingly at her husband, a young and smart serving Indian Army soldier. “My husband is my God. Without him, I’d never have reached so far in my career...never have won the Bronze but for my desperate Tigress lunge, my sinews stretched to snapping point...It was enough, even if by mere inches. More than me, this Paris Paralympics medal was the dream of my husband. When I was broken, he brought me back from self pity, tears and agony to winning. It was a nightmare. It was destruction; the end of my dreams, yet in this darkness, Gajju found strength...his resolve of not giving up... Hum ne kar diya! Eureka! Hum jeet gaye!
My interviewing her as a young woman was both a joy as well as reinforcement of my values. I’ve always been keen on outdoors, high achievement and adventure, trekking; my long NCC stint as SUO following the lead of brave-heart Capt Vikram Batra, PVC (Posthumous), who, years before me had been an NCC Air Wing SUO from DAV College Chandigarh and whose portrait was my daily motivation for NCC leadership. I was in gliding, para-sailing, giddha, integration camps, Republic Day selection programs; everything. I worked hard in academics, am a TEDx motivator, and am interviewed in podcasts; am deeply involved in war and cultural museology; in battlefield archaeology and writing in media; an act which I find creative and fulfilling. I focus single-mindedly on all I do. I have always struggled to win. I see a lot of Simran in me and me in her; two peas of the same pod, both hungry for excellence in all we do.
I thus found the world of Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus so poignant and apt: “In the depths of winter, she finally learned that within her there lay an invincible summer...” I caught her infectious smile, deeply moved by her honest and thrilling narration. “I will try to change Bronze colour at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. I will run for Gold; go all out for it,” she told me softly in smiling tears. I smiled back, wiping her tears, proud of her passion and hunger to excel. I told her: “Simran, when you run for Gold at Los Angeles, I and my hubby will be there to cheer for your Gold. You will be winning it for Swarnim India of our dreams”. We hugged...She is just the feisty young woman India needs I felt; her hubby a focused team member who believes in her dreams and has the guts to stake all for her to become India class; Asia class; World class. They recall the sms the great Milkha Singh had sent before he passed away: “Simran, no woman athlete or Para athlete has ever won Gold at the Olympics. I want you to win it for India; you’ve the fire, resolve, guts, grit and the talent, and Gajendra has the ability to keep you focused. Just do it!”
So let me quickly recall enough about her, her family circumstances and her husband-coach to allow readers to absorb Simran’s amazing story of battling against dire adversity to come out a winner. Simran Sharma is from Burari, Delhi with her schooling and college done in Modinagar, UP. She was born in a very modest family environment to housewife Savita Sharma and self-employed pharmacist Manoj Sharma who struggled with his health. Despite his limited budgetary capability he unconditionally supported her but died just when she was beginning to bloom as a top athlete. She was born prematurely with visual impairment; spending her first few months in an incubator meant for pre-term babies; her life hanging on knife edge. From childhood, Simran faced teasing and bullying, her larger family scorning her athletics ambitions. Her life was however about to change. When Simran enrolled at Rukmani Modi Mahila Inter College in Modinagar in 2015, she began participating in inter-college competitions but without much focus. Simran candidly states that all she wanted was to see India written on her t-shirt. Laughing at her own initial low self-esteem she cheerfully said; “It was Gajju who saw me running for India before I could even imagine the possibility”. Soldier Gajendra Singh was a well-regarded fellow athlete-cum coach known to be tough on his mentees and a talent spotter who recognised her potential: “I first met her in Modinagar and immediately realised Simran’s potential as a sprinter despite her disability. I helped her take up running and worked on building her muscle strength and stamina before concentrating on her technique. There were times when I would request the stadium authorities to make the ground available to us late in the night so that I could train her after returning from my other coaching duties.”
A fine BBC interview captured the joys and travails of their early careers. They fell in love, their shared passion for athletics bringing them close and decided to get married. When the duo told their respective families, both families resisted their union as both Gajendra and Simran came from different strata; he from a well off landowning family whereas Simran’s family had no such pretensions. After a lot of cajoling, the two got married in Nov 2017. Gajju’s optimism rubbed on Simran, making her believe in herself despite marital challenges.
Simran started laughing after hearing the word ‘Olympics’ so Gajju asked her why. She said she’d start sweating even when she watched the Olympics on TV. Gajendra responded: “Mujhe pata hai tum nahi kar sakti, lekin mujhe ye bhi pata hai ki mai tumse karwa loonga.” He was made of steel; would make the impossible possible one day. Simran laughingly said: “Shaadi ke agle din utha ke bola chalo taiyaar ho jaao, gym jaana hai. Mere haathon me mehendi lagi hai, meri muh dikhaayi hone waali thi aur log aa rahe hain. Mai gym karke track suit me waapis aa rahi hoon aur muh dikhaayi waale log mujhse hi pooch rahe the ki beta bahu kaha hain. Maine bola mai hi hoon ji.” In the same interview, Simran stated that people scolded her mother-in-law for supporting Simran; letting her wear a lower and tee unlike newlyweds. They wanted Simran to cover her face. Simran quoted her mum-in-law: “Jab ye Olympics me jaayegi aur choti shorts pehenke daudegi to tum kya isko dekhoge nahin?”
I see them as a fusion of fire, dreams and invincible drive to conquer excellence. I carefully studied both, recalling their BBC interview snippets in my mind. It was a slowly evolving renaissance for them, I realised...her blissful relationship with her guide, mentor, friend, husband and coach…I laud the personality of a man who truly believed in his wife’s dreams of wearing INDIA colours and provided her with the mental and physical strength and training to achieve them. He inspires by breaking our legacy taboos like ‘girls can’t do it’; that women must remain in purdah. He makes us believe in emerging India where women can be equal if different. To do so, he sold part of his land; took loans, borrowed money never losing his drive. He was merciless yet kind, thoughtful yet distant. He was badly needed. He was seeking results, not votes. He had ability and grit.
A podium of dreams,
Shouts and screams,
Learning, unlearning
Floods of tears yet…
Brewing bonds,
Running finally with smiles,
Many a mile... the mind
Set on a distant goal…
I do feel that finally, it is Que Sera Sera…whatever will be, will be. Destiny is not in our hands but hard work, interest, dedication and passionate firing of mind and body makes ordinary people achieve extraordinary goals. You can create in your mind-space an oasis of pure bliss where you can confront your own strengths and weaknesses as a part of your personality…make yourself an instrument of winning after many bouts with sweat, toil, tears; with stretching your sinews to breaking point. Such mind-mapping becomes a connecting dot of perseverance, panache and serious fun of your daily life that converts you from a Trier; an ‘also-ran’ to a classy winner – in tight sweat proof shorts designed from imported sweat absorbing, breathable spandex vest in India colours; smart tees, jackets and tracks; athletic rigs scientifically designed to cut out wind drag by hugging curves with fluorescent, cushioned heels from the world’s best spikes makers…and a winners attitude common to all athletes, normal and Paralympics contestants.
I got unqualified validation of my thoughts from Simran herself. I asked her: What makes us strong? What makes us mad to fall hopelessly in line with our passion? She responded…Companionship, trust, support and an unfading constant faith of her husband which pushed her relentlessly to break the glass ceiling of her fears. They became one. Their individual dreams became a unified whole and she started enjoying the pain and converted into serious fun. Her daily motivation…her opiate… was of endless practice-rest-run-repeat of running, walking, skipping many miles before she would go to sleep broken in body but strong in resolve…so strong. Gajju would note, smiling silently.
Simran took part in the China Grand Prix and World Para Grand Prix at Dubai in 2021. She became the first Indian Para athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 but missed the podium. She was selected to represent the Indian team at the 2022 Asian Para Games at Hangzhou, China where she won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m (T-12) events. In May 2024, she won a gold medal in 100 meters (T-12) at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan. She was prepared for Paris, having walked through fire.
Tears and sweat, toil…
Neither ahead nor behind,
Just unspoken companionship
Through rain, sleet, storm and
Many taunts,
More failure, rare victory,
Running for joy and medal dreams.
“Acchi feeling thi Ma’am,” she whispered to me, out of her hubby’s hearing busy on his cell with another girl mentee. “Tarun Tahiliani ji ne hamari sarees ko design kiya, bahut acchi lagi...” We did not wear uniforms like the men...she laughed. The delicately green and gold embroidered sarees flattered our body types. We felt comfortable and confident. I smiled, delighted with this cosy girl talk. I recalled what athletic legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee had said in her July 2012 Vogue interview: “Women like to glam up even when running. When they look good, feel good, they do good, win Gold as I did!”
Soaring high in high fashion couture,
Feminine bliss in Ikat design,
Pretty birds dreaming high fashion
Amid serious runs, giggles,
And medal hopes
My interaction was drawing towards its climax…the darkness in Paris that finally led to her Eureka moment of Gajju! Hum Ne kar Diya! Her best event where she’d won honours and awards; her 100 meters dash had left her missing the podium. She was traumatized; in pain mental and physical. Gajju quickly assessed she had a probable Grade 2 hamstring sprain which made her hobble in pain; anguish; despair, her hopes shattered. Her 200 meters event...her last chance at a Paris medal was a bare 36 hours away and recovery seemed impossible. The hamstrings are the large set of powerful muscles that span the back of the thigh from the buttocks to the calves and serve to flex the knee and extend the hip. Strains involving micro-tears in the muscles, cramping, and tightness can be felt when the hamstrings are injured with distress ranging from nagging to severe and radiating pain. Gajju and the Indian medics chose to give her approved pain relieving sedatives and use black kinesthetic or KT Tape on her hamstrings to relax the injured muscles and increase circulation to the area, as well as provide significant pain relief. The RICE acronym thus came into play…Rest…Ice Pack…Compression KT tapes…Elevation of swollen ankle… She cried. Gajju consoled her; icing her swollen ankle the whole night even as he reminded her of her hero, the legendary repeat Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt who is often quoted as saying, "I trained for four years to run 9 seconds, and people give up when they don't see results in two months." The couple did not sleep that night but the words hit Simran hard. She understood she owed a great deal to the system that had sent her to Paris to do her best; not whine. Gajju, realised that in Simran, he had a winning prospect, not a girl wallowing in self pity. The tears were over. The plan to win or die was forged.
The hour had come. She was to run in Lane 7, the Iranian Hazar in Lane 2 and without a guide; a factor that could work in her favour as it had in her Silver medal winning lone foray a scant 48 hours before. The dice seemed loaded against Simran but she was made of sterner stuff and pushed herself by a last desperate stride to earn her Bronze podium place. Simran-Gajju ne kar diya!!!
We were closing down what I see as an epochal interview. It was Gajju telling me that despite all he could do; it was The Government’s Olympics initiatives that did wonders for them. It was the Mumbai based NGO Olympics Gold Quest or OGW that let them have global dreams by funding them. It was also TOPS...the Governments Target Olympics Podium Scheme that put Simran on the podium. Not the least, it was the Para Olympics Committee of India and the seamless synergy of these three bodies that is doing wonders for India’s Olympic hopes. They must be lauded, says Gajju and I agree.
Today, Simran has an Arjuna Award to her growing list of honours and awards. It is India’s second highest sports award after the Khel Ratna. Like Julius Caesar, Simran may be tempted to say “Veni, Vidi, Vici...I came, I saw, I conquered”. She and Gajju know that would be mere posturing...What’s needed is the Gold at LA 2028...no less!
A string of affection,
Moh moh ke dhaage
Running for perfection,
Gold is our destination.
Practicing, praying,
Los Angeles 2028 is calling…
Arjuna Awardee Simran with her coach-hubby Gajendra Singh.
Simran-Gajju represents a merger of masculine and feminine powers which can convert a dream into golden reality. They are role models educating young India on converting handicaps into assets to reach Olympian heights. Bless them!
Me presenting a copy of her Paralympics article in Uday India, 5 Oct 2024
By Vishali Thakur Garg
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
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