Preethi Pal wins India’s first bronze medal from para-athletics at 2024 Paralympics in women’s T35 100m event

India’s Preethi Pal won a bronze medal in the women’s T35 100m event with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds at the Paralympics on Friday. The 23-year-old Preethi’s bronze is India’s first medal from para-athletics in the Paris Paralympics.

China’s Zhou Xia (13.58) and Guo Qianqian (13.74) won the gold and silver respectively. T35 classification is meant for athletes who have coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis, as well as cerebral palsy.

Preeti was born to a farmer’s family. She faced significant physical challenges, when she was born, her lower body was plastered 6 Days after birth. With weak legs and an irregular leg posture, making her prone to various diseases. She underwent various traditional treatments to strengthen her legs. 

At the age of five, she started wearing calipers and wore them for eight years. Despite many doubting her survival, Preeti proved to be a fighter, overcoming life-threatening conditions and emerged victorious, demonstrating with incredible strength and resilience. 

At 17, Preethi’s perspective began to shift when she watched the Paralympic Games on social media. She was inspired and realized that she too could pursue her dreams.

Although she didn’t win a medal at the Asian Para Games, Preeti remained motivated and aimed for the Paralympic Games. She moved to Delhi to train under Coach Gajender Singh. Together, they focused on refining her running techniques, leading to significant improvements in her performance.

Preeti’s dedication and hard work culminated in her selection for the World Para Athletics Championship, where she excelled, winning bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024.

(With agency inputs)

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.