Imagine being born without arms and becoming a world champion in a sport that literally requires them. This is the near-impossible yet extremely inspiring story of archer, Sheetal Devi, who truly redefined the term “limitation” with her immense determination and will power. The strong soul, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, was born with a rare congenital condition called “phocomelia”. Despite that, she never let her limitation decide the course of her life.
Introduced to archery at a very young age, she trained under the Khelo India and Paralympic development system and quickly gained recognition as a prodigy in compound archery. She was noticed by the Indian Army at a youth event in Kishtwar, back in 2021, and there were plans being developed initially to equip Sheetal with a prosthetic arm, to help her in her pursuit. However, the original plan faltered and a fresh assessment eventually discovered her lower body strength – which she had unknowingly built from years of climbing trees in her village. Sheetal uses her feet and chin to shoot an arrow, which has become her own unique style. Her initial training involved practicing with a simple rubber band, before moving ahead with a proper compound bow, and within a rather short period of time, she started competing at national and international levels.
In September 2025, she became the first ever armless woman to win the Individual Para Word Archery Title, by defeating the World Number 1, Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi 146-143 in a nail biting final. She bagged gold at the Para World Archery Championship at Gwangju, Korea. She had earlier won a mixed team bronze in the compound event with Toman Kumar, after defeating Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham and Nathan McQueen 152- 149.
But Sheetal did not just stay restricted to the domain of Para sports. Striving for excellence, in November 2025, she challenged her boundaries and shattered the ultimate glass ceiling by being a part of the national selection trials and competing against 60 other able-bodied female archers over four days. She did not just participate – she finished third overall, and cemented her spot in the national squad by scoring 703 points in the qualification rounds – 352 in the first and 351 in the second. With the feat, she became the first Indian Para athlete ever to become a part of the national team, which is extremely commendable to say the least.
In 2026, Sheetal’s main target will be to retain her titles at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, where previously, Sheetal had created history by clinching the gold medal in individual as well as mixed teams in the Para-Asian Games. Apart from that, she would be eyeing a successful participation in international competitions, alongside other able-bodied athletes, where the main agenda would be to claim medals, and justifying her selection. This will also include the phase I trials of the Asian Games, to be held in Kolkata, and the main aim here will be to make it to the marque3 event. She will also take part in high-level domestic competitions including the NTPC Khelo India National ranking competitions, in early 2026, as she continues to modify her technique under a new coaching setup in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Sheetal Devi’s story is not just another sports news that we come across. It is a story of relentless courage and reflects her indomitable spirit which refuses to give up no matter what. Although her Asia cup debut, which was to happen in Jeddah this December, got postponed because the event ultimately got cancelled due to lack of entries and incomplete organizational requirements, her story continues to inspire, proving that determination and merit are the factors that ultimately define greatness. It is a masterclass written in pure human will and she undoubtedly remains a symbol of possibility for every dreamer. To the people reading this, if your 2025 did not go as per your liking, let Sheetal Devi’s journey serve as a reminder that setbacks are often just the setup for a monumental comeback.
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