“She gained recognition in the international arena for her outstanding accomplishments in a number of national archery contests. After an amazing journey, Sheetal won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the para-archery world championship in the Czech Republic, making history as the world’s first female armless archer.
A girl was born in Loidhar village, kishtwar district,jammu and kashmir on 10 january 2007.Her youth was like any other as late as a disastrous event changed her life perpetually. which resulted in an armless girl. This disability, though physically limiting, failed to fetter the spirit of invincibility
Sheetal Devi’s Early Life and Challenges
Who is sheetal devi?
16 years old sheetal devi an First indian archer born without arms , creating history in para archery . She won medals, competing the challengers and making her country proud enough. She was grown up in a low income family with a scarcity of resources .
Earlier she thinks she would not be able to do it, but later on she worked hard Day and night,Her Father works in the field the entire day and her mother looks after the goats, Her younger sister shivani takes the most care of her, sheetal grows a deep interest in education also she mould herself in every possible way , she is motivated in every field In the beginning she thought of not going school ever because of her disability, But everybody supported her, while she was in 10 class ,she capture the attention of trainer kuldeep vedwan, who plays an important and mentor role in her life.
World’s first armless woman archer sheetal Devi Despite her physical restraint, the cool divinity refused to be defined by her disability.she discovered the passion for archery, a sport that requires accuracy, focus and skill. She realised that her disability did not define her potential and that she could shine in archery with enthusiasm and hard work.
Training and achievements
Sheetal Devi embarked on her journey in para archery with the support of her family and well-wishers. Battalion coaches Abhilash Chowdhury and Kuldeep Vadhvani detected her trust and decided to coach her at a youth program organised by the Indian Army. She was born with phocomelia, and had no arms. So first, the coaches helped her with prosthetics.
However, doctors directly said that prosthetics could not be brought out in her case. Here, sheetal talks about what she enjoys and is familiar with climbing trees on foot. This was very captivating for the trainers. Now there was one more challenge for the instructors, they had never trained an archer without an arm. But the trainers researched the feasibility of training her , and finally found Matt Stutzman , who had no arms and used his legs to throw arrows. This gave the coaches more trust and involvement in Cold Goddess Asia Parasport in 11 of 11 months of training cost India two gold medals.
Sheetal Devi’s successful outcome in the sport has not only brought her individual satisfaction but has also brought identification and honour to the country, India.
Awards : The dream came true
She won a silver medal in the women’s archery event at the Asian Para Games in 2022. Also won silver medals in women’s doubles and two gold medals in mixed doubles and women’s individual.In the women’s compound competition at the Para Asian Games final, she achieved gold medal.
At the National Sports and Adventure Award 2023 ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, she recently received the Arjuna Award from President Draupadi Murmu. By winning two gold medals and a silver medal at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games 2023, Sheetal made history. She posted a video of herself at the award ceremony after being given the sporting honor.
Inspiring others : Reveals that a barrier becomes insuperable.
Sheetal Devi’s story is a Lantern of hope for the individuals with the disabilities.It reveals that a barrier becomes insuperable, when one is focused to do it. She has been an inspiration to people facing similar challenges, encouraging them to overcome their dreams and passions with fixed determination
In addition to her achievements in sports, Sheetal Devi is energetically indulged in parasports and rights issues for individuals with disabilities She remain persistent to push for the importance of inclusive and accessible rights has promoted disabled athletes, strives to build a more comprehensive society Sheetal Devi raised herself as an inspiration for all and a sign of India’s commitment to para sports.
Author’s Note:
The amazing journey of Sheetal Devi, a glowing example of hope and perseverance, which really inspired me to write this post. Despite being born without arms, her incredible journey in para-archery is a story of dedication and unmatched success. Sheetal Devi’s story, from humble origins in a village in Jammu and Kashmir to worldwide recognition, is a moving story that encourages and motivates us to face obstacles head-on.
