There is a saying: you are only as strong as your weakest link. However. athletes participating at the 2024 Paris Paralympics have proved otherwise. They have proved that you are only as strong as you are determined to be; your ‘weakest link’ is just another roadblock that can be tossed aside. One such athlete who has remarkably managed to prove this is Deepthi Jeevanji.
Deepthi Jeevanji made history as the first Indian athlete with an intellectual impairment to compete in the Paralympic Games. On September 3, she won a bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20 event at the Paris Paralympics, setting a world record in the process, reported Firstpost.
Born to daily wage labourers J. Yadagiri and J. Dhanalaxmi in Kalleda, Telangana, Deepthi’s journey to success was full of challenges. From a young age, she faced ridicule and scepticism from her village because of her intellectual disability and unusual features at birth.
“She was born during the solar eclipse and her head was very small at birth along with the lips and nose being a bit unusual. Every villager who saw her and some of our relatives would call Deepthi pichi (mental) and kothi (monkey) and tell us to send her to an orphanage. Today, seeing her become the world champion in a far-off country proves that she is indeed a special girl,” NDTV quoted her mother Dhanalaxmi saying.
Her athletic potential was first noticed by her school’s Physical Education teacher, Biyani Venkateshwaralu, when she was in Class 9. She consistently outran her able-bodied peers in 100m and 200m races. Later, Indian Junior team coach Nagpuri Ramesh took her under his wing after spotting her at a state meet in 2019.
Deepthi’s family faced significant financial struggles, making her sports training a distant dream. However, support came from Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, who helped fund her training and international trips. His foundation ensured that she received the necessary certifications to compete as a para-athlete.
Despite facing societal prejudice, Deepthi’s parents never gave up on her. They worked hard as daily labourers and made sacrifices to support her dream.
“When my husband’s father died, we had to sell the farm to make ends meet. My husband would earn Rs 100 or Rs 150 a day so there were days when I had to work to support our family, including Deepthi’s younger sister Amulya. Deepthi was always a calm child and spoke very little. But when the village kids would tease her, she would come home and cry,” her mother revealed.
With the cash rewards from her achievements, her family was finally able to buy a small piece of land for farming.
Today, Deepthi Jeevanji is celebrated not just for her athletic achievements but for her remarkable journey of resilience. Massive respect for her!