When Abhinav Bindra won a gold at the Beijing 2008 Games, he did not just become India's first individual Olympic champion. He became an inspiration for youngsters. Anyone who wanted to take up shooting as a sports career, had a role model to look up to. Avani Lekhara was no different. (Full Paralympics Coverage | More Sports News)
Today, Avani has created so many records that it is hard to remember them all. Most prominently, she became the first Indian to win gold medals at successive Paralympics. She also became just the second Indian and the first woman from the country to become Paralympics champion twice.
Between all this, the 22-year-old from Jaipur also broke her own Paralympics record which she set in Tokyo. Avani's 249.7 in Paris on Friday helped her create a new Paralympics record leaving behind her own 249.6 in Tokyo three years ago.
Here is a short profile of Avani Lekhara who is set to become one of India's greatest Paralympians after her record-breaking run on Friday in Paris.
Who Is Avani Lekhara?
Born in Jaipur, Rajasthan in 2001, Avani's life changed after a road accident resulted in making her wheelchair bound. She was just 11 when the lower half of her body was left completely paralysed.
Her father then pushed her towards sports and by 2015 Avani started shooting. Her inspiration, just like so many of other Indian shooters, was Bindra.
At just 19 years of age, Avani landed in Tokyo in 2021 with hopes of bringing a medal. She brought back two. A gold in the 10m air rifle SH1 classification and then a bronze in the 50m rifle 3P SH1. She was the first Indian to win multiple medals at a single edition of the Paralympics and still remains the only woman to do so.
After the Tokyo high, Avani continued to do well winning gold medals at the World Cup and the Asian Paralympics Games in Hangzhou.
In the run-up to the Paris Paralympics, Avani had to go through a surgery and then come back to full fitness. She regained weight and strength post surgery to land in Paris in full fitness.
On Friday, Avani once again rose up to the occasion to create history. She has still more events, women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 and mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1, left to make her mark in Paris.
Avani already is a Khel Ratna and a Padma Shri.
