Somasekhar Mulugu (Hyderabad)

Warangal (Telangana)-based para-athlete Deepthi Jeevanji (21) won a bronze medal in the 400m T20 (classification for athletes with intellectual disabilities) sprint event of the Paralympics Games 2024 staged in Paris between August 28-September 8. Introduced in 1976, Paralympic Games is an international multi-sports event modelled on the Olympics, featuring athletes with physical an mental disabilities.

Born with physical disadvantages and language and speech difficulties, in her childhood Deepthi was subjected to ridicule and discrimination by relatives, neighbours and school mates. However, with encouragement from her physical training teacher Biyani Venkateswarulu of the RDF (Rural Development Foundation) School, Kalleda (Telangana) — ranked among the Super 40 Private Budget Schools in the EW India School Rankings 2024-25 — she doggedly pursued athletics.

Her turning point came in 2019 at the National Athletics Championship in Khammam (Telangana). Although she won the 400m race, she was disqualified because she ran barefoot and switched lanes out of ignorance. But Dronacharya awardee N. Ramesh and athletics coach of SAI (Sports Authority of India) Hyderabad, recognised her potential and took her under his wing. 

In 2022, she bagged her first gold in the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, Morocco in the 400m T20 sprint event with a timing of 57.66 seconds. Next year in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, she won a second gold with a new Asian Para Games record of 56.69 seconds. Earlier this year (2024) at the Para Athletic World Championships held in Kobe (Japan), she set a world record with 55.06 seconds to stand tall on the winner’s podium.

The elder child of daily wage earners Dhanalakshmi and Yadagiri, Deepthi attributes her success to a supportive community. “Credit goes to my parents who sold their farmland to support me, my coach and sponsors — the Gopichand-Mytrah Foundation. I am also indebted to the state government for awarding me a cash prize of Rs.1 crore and a Group II government job,” says Deepthi, who recently graduated from Samatha College, Mahbubabad with a commerce degree.

“I intend to practice harder and improve my timing to win a gold for India in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles,” she says.

Go for gold, Sis!