Paralysed & Reluctant In Sports, How Avani Lekhara Overcame Odds To Shine As India’s Star

Star shooter Avani Lekhara’s journey to become to a three-time medallist at the Paralympics is a powerful testament to resilience and unwavering determination. Her story is one of remarkable transformation and triumph against the odds, illustrating how a devastating setback can become the foundation for extraordinary success.

The 22-year-old scripted history by successfully defending her title at the Paris Paralympics 2024.

Speaking at SheShakti 2024, Lekhara said she did not give up after the life-threatening car accident in 2012 and build a career in shooting in which she had no interest. She expressed gratitude to her parents for helping her and giving her the confidence to get back into life.

“I met with a car accident in 2012, it left me paralysed below my waist. I had to start again. Moving around in wheelchair. My parents played a huge role in my journey. They never made me feel like I can’t do this and that. I started going back to school after two years of home schooling. I got the courage of going there on my wheelchair because of my parents. Kids, teachers in school helped me gain the confidence,” she said.

Lekhara, who hails from Jaipur, said she was into dancing before the car accident and she had no love for any sports. She said Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography inspired her to pick up the rifle and win gold medal for the country.

“I started shooting in 2015. I was not at all in any sport. I was into dancing and performing arts. I was travelling for dance competition before my accident. I tried archery first then I went to shooting range. When I lifted the rifle, its weight was 5-6 kgs. I was so small that I couldn’t lift it properly. So, the coach there told me I can improve my skills,” she said.

The shooter said winning medal at Tokyo Paralympics gave her confidence that she can do it again. However, she said a gall bladder surgery could have hurt her chance at Paris Paralympics but she managed to defend her title.

“After Tokyo, I was confident. Before that people used to say that women can’t win gold in country. To break that barrier and becoming the first women to do was something huge for me. I thought if I can do it once, I can do it again as well,” she said.

“In march, I had undergone gall bladder surgery… I was just at home, recovering from injury before Paralympics. That was disheartening for me. People were asking me to win gold. Just one day before the match, my coach said we are proud of you with or without medal. That’s kind was important point for me. I played my match and I gave my best,” she added.

Elaborating more on her inspirational journey, she said, “When I was at a stage in my life and I knew I couldn’t do anything, there was no future for me. We think about our strengthens and weaknesses. It is up to us to decide. I knew I would not be able to move forward with these barriers. Life will not let you win until you want to win. When I had nothing, I chose myself and I chose to move forward. If you choose you, everything else will choose you too.”