In a classic tale of overcoming insurmountable odds, Preethi Pal made history in 2024 Paralympics by scoring two medals in the same Paralympic event. She won a bronze in the woman’s T35 100m event on Friday and a bronze in the 200m T35 event on Sunday. She is the first Indian woman to score two medals in the track and field category.  

In the 200m women’s T32, world record holder Zhou Xia was the one to take home the covetous gold medal. The 25-year-old clocked a 28.15s run. Fellow Chinese athlete Guo Qianqian took the silver with a 29.9s run. Preethi clinched the bronze with an impressive 30.01s. Preethi had clocked a personal best record of 14.21s in the T35 100m sprint earlier this week. All of this culminated into an unforgettable moment for an elated Preethi.

A road paved with difficulties 

The 23-year-old from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, is no stranger to adversity. She was born to a farmer’s family. Her lower body had to be plastered just days after her birth. She was vulnerable to various diseases due to her weak legs and irregular leg posture. Preethi had to undergo various surgeries and traditional treatments to strengthen her legs.  

She started wearing calipers when she was 5 years old and continued wearing them till the time, she was eight years. However, as time progressed, the warrior spirit in Preethi shone through. She fought through several life-threatening conditions, putting up an impressive exhibition of strength and resilience. 

Preethi saw the Paralympic games when she was 17, instilling the seeds of ambition in her which would ultimately lead to her triumph. She was introduced to the sport by Paralympic athlete Fatima Khatoon, who trained her for the state level competitions in 2018. After receiving initial training in Meerut, she moved to Delhi to train under the tutelage of coach Gajendra Singh at the Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium.

Heartbreak at Asian Para championships 

Preethi put up a strong performance in the 2023 Asian Para championships in China. She managed to secure two fourth place finishes in the 100m and 200m. She was heartbroken after coming so close to achieving a medal.  However, her tenacity brought her back to compete in the World Para Athletics Championship, where she won bronze in both the 100m and 200m events. Her performance at the Championship qualified her to compete in the Paralympics. 

Indians impress at the Paralympics 

India has won 7 medals in Paralympics so far. Avani Lekhara made history by being the first woman to win 2 gold medals in the Paralympics, securing a gold in the SH1 10m Air Rifle shooting. Nishad Kumar secured a silver in the men’s T47 high jump with the highest jump of the season at 2.04 meters. Manish Narwal, Mona Agarwal and Rubina Francis won silver, bronze and bronze, respectively in their respective shooting categories, while Preethi Pal penned history with her two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m T35 sprint. The T35 classification is designated for athletes with coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia, and cerebral palsy.