Overcoming physical disabilities, armless archer Sheetal Devi and wheelchair basketball player Geeta Chouhan are scaling heights
It’s often said, “Nothing is impossible to a willing heart!” And, 16-year-old Sheetal Devi from a tiny hamlet of Lohidar in Kishtwar district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir has proved the adage. She was born armless but with a brave heart and steely resolve. No wonder, she became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games by claiming the top honors in the women’s individual compound event.
She is also the first armless woman to win a medal at the World Para Archery Championships. Last July, she clinched a silver at the event in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Holding the bow with her foot and aiming it right, she won two gold medals in the women’s open individual compound and mixed team compound archery events, along with a silver in the women’s doubles compound event, at the Asian Para Games, making a hat-trick.
Her journey from the Jammu village till Asian Para Games wasn’t an easy affair. Born to a poor farmer couple in the village, Sheetal’s world was confined to her home and school before she ventured into the world of sports. While her father Maan Singh worked in fields, her mother looked after goats and she would spend the most of her time gazing at the snow-capped mountains around with a burning desire to do something in life. But, she could barely think of anything beyond becoming a teacher as life had posed several challenges. She was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder that causes under-developed limbs. In her case, she had stubby hands.
Battling her physical limitations, she used her foot to write and hence continued her studies at a village school. But, athletics had creeped into her life silently as she would climb trees using her legs in the village. The wheel of fortune turned things around when her athleticism was spotted by the 11 Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Indian Army at a youth sports event in her village. “When the Indian Army personnel spotted me at the school event, they were moved by my zeal. They came to my home and helped us in getting amputee hands,” said Sheetal.
In Bengaluru, Being You, a start-up and storytelling platform, that had created a calendar featuring amputees, was also informed about Sheetal. In 2021, the NGO consulted physiotherapists and other medical experts, who conducted several tests on Sheetal and finally gave her amputee hands. For Sheetal, her natural self was dearer. She chose to embrace life as it came to her naturally. And, hence she was fascinated by the Paralympics. Thanks to the constant encouragement by the Indian Army, she learnt what Paralympic is. She was introduced to Paralympic swimmer Sharath Gayakwad and former captain of the India blind cricket team Shekhar Naik. By then, she was determined to carve a niche for herself in Paralympics but was clueless about what sports to take up until she arrived at Shri Vaishnodevi Academy in Katra, some 200 kilometres from her village. It was at the coaching centre that she got her aim right and introduced to archery.
“She was taught to use her right leg to raise the bow and aim while she pulls the string back using her right shoulder. In her mouth, she keeps a small instrument that helps her release the arrow,” said her coach.
After months of training, she fell ill on her way to Pilsen. She had a high fever and a stomach bug. When the team reached their destination for the World Archery Championships, Sheetal was told to rest. She was not encouraged to go to the archery range to train and get used to the conditions. In fact—as reported by a popular news website— the first time she got to the range was just 15 minutes before the qualification round. She still finished fourth out of 46. She fell ill again after winning the semi-finals. She was hospitalised and put on a drip. However, she refused to stay back for the finals. With a never-say-die attitude, she played the finals. In the gold medal match, she lost by two points (138-140) to Turkey’s Oznur Cure. But along with the prestigious silver medal, she had also booked a spot for herself at the Paris Paralympics next year. And, now her focus is on clinching medals in Paris.
Much like Sheetal, a wheelchair basketball player—Geeta Chouhan—fought all odds to become an international sportsperson and represented the country at various tournaments. Born in a middle-class family, life took an ugly turn when Geeta turned six.
Polio, a disabling and life-threatening disease, took a toll on her and affected her ability to walk. As she was bound to a wheelchair, Geeta was denied admissions in private schools. However, her disability did not deter her determination to work hard and make a mark in life. Despite the struggles, she completed her education in a government school and moved on to pursue her graduation from NarseeMonjee College of Commerce and Economics.
Being a woman on crutches, Geeta faced a lot of challenging situations. After having appeared for more than 25 job interviews and being rejected, she took life as a challenge. “Life has always been a competition for people like us because it’s tough to accept yourself as disabled, thanks to the perception of people towards us. People think that we cannot sit or play with able-bodied players and cannot lead a happy life. But I wanted to prove that people with disabilities are capable and powerful,” she said.
The wheel of fortune moved in 2017 when Geeta’s friend Ravi (a wheelchair basketball and cricket player from Meerut) informed her about the scope for wheelchair players. Initially, she found it strange and pondered as to how disabled people can play sports. “But then it seemed like an amazing opportunity. I was informed that a wheelchair basketball team was under formation in Mumbai and I was asked to join the team. I was hesitant in the beginning and thought to myself; ‘Is it really going to happen or will we be mocked as usual’? Come what may, I mustered all my courage and joined the team,” she recalled.
The beginning was a rough patch as neither did they have proper grounds nor appropriate wheelchairs to practise. “So, a member of our group spoke to the Rehab centre of Disability located near Haji Ali to seek permission to use the small ground behind it, although it was in a poor condition. The Rehab centre helped us a lot and also provided us with wheelchairs. We had to work very hard to push those wheelchairs, but slowly got used to it. We started practising for 3-4 days in a week and there began my journey in sports,” said Geeta.
Soon, she started competing in the Nationals and then moved on to represent India at various international competitions. She is also a budding national level wheelchair tennis player and a marathon runner.
Geeta aided the Maharashtra Wheelchair Basketball Team to secure the 4th position in the 2017 National Wheelchair Basketball Championship at Hyderabad. She won the runners-up title in doubles at the 2018 Open National Wheelchair Tennis Championship, held in Chennai. She emerged as the winner (Maharashtra Wheelchair Basketball Team) of the 2018 National Wheelchair Basketball Championship at Tamil Nadu and also the top scorer in the team with 12 points in the final match.
She represented the Indian Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 2018 Asian Para Games Qualifying trials in Bangkok, Thailand. She also represented the Indian Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 2019 Asia Oceania Championship in Pattaya, Thailand. She bagged a gold medal at the 2019 National Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Mohali for Maharashtra Wheelchair Basketball Team and participated in Valsad Marathon and completed 10 km in 40 minutes and 3 seconds. Her thirst for medals hasn’t been quenched, though. The woman on wheels aspires to win a medal in the Olympics.
Milestones
Sheetal Devi is the first armless woman to win a medal at the World Para Archery Championships
Last July, she had clinched a silver at the event in Pilsen, Czech Republic
Sheetal isthe first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games by claiming the top honours in the women’s individual compound event
Geeta represented Indian Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 2018 Asian Para Games Qualifying trials in Bangkok, Thailand
She also represented Indian Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 2019 Asia Oceania Championship in Pattaya, Thailand
She bagged a gold medal at the 2019 National Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Mohali for Maharashtra Wheelchair Basketball Team
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