If the world were to be a laboratory of miracles, Sheetal Devi would have been its most famous and unique product. Taking into account that the world is not exactly such a laboratory, she is still a miraculous personality. She has done what nobody could, by overcoming the gravest of odds and making a massive mark in her chosen field.
In the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris, Sheetal will be representing Indian in archery. She will possibly be the only contestant in this particular discipline without arms. Imagine? This is far beyond imagination and starkly real. She shoots with her leg. And she is so good at it that she won two gold medals at the Asian Para Games in 2022. There was a silver medal as well.
To say that sports tell stories of human resolve and an iron will to overcome adversities is nothing when it comes to Sheetal. Born with a rare disorder called phocomelia — broadly meaning malformations of arms and legs — she was obviously in a disadvantageous situation when it comes to sporting activities. That she turned this into the rarest of tales is bigger than a miracle.
Look up the internet for images of this 17-year-old firing arrows using her right leg and you will get a faint idea of what she does. Just to do it physically is beyond fantasy. To achieve precision with that is something that can’t be described in words. There are occasions where words fail and this is a possible pinnacle of those. Even seeing this may not amount to believing!
Certainly a medal prospect for India at the upcoming Games, which is a celebration of human determination, Sheetal has already won the highest of accolades when it comes to showing the world that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter whether she makes it to the podium. She is already there on the victory stand of courage and will.
And that is the best part of the Paris Paralympics to be held from August 28 to September 8. It’s not just platform to showcase sporting excellence. It’s the greatest show on earth of human beings challenging everything that the world or nature throws at them. Participants in these Games are the embodiments of that trait called fervour, the very burning version of it.
This fire is not always outwardly visible. But it burns all the time within these astonishing athletes and explains to the world the meaning of the word ‘undying’. It’s the very spirit which characterises sports and elevates it to a level that other human activities cannot. Sheetal is a standout example of this undying spirit. Words cannot describe her.