Against all odds, a tenacious teenage girl and a man who once thought his life was over stood together on the podium, clutching India’s latest Paralympic medal. Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar’s bronze in the archery mixed team compound event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics was a portrait of perseverance—one that will endure as a defining image of the year in Indian sport.
A Medal that Nearly Wasn’t
The road to Paralympic glory is grueling under the best circumstances, but for Sheetal and Rakesh, it was a path beset by heartbreak. Both archers suffered shocking exits in the early rounds of their individual events, defeats that could’ve shattered their confidence irreparably.
Sheetal, the sole female armless archer competing internationally, was stunned in the second round. Rakesh, after a valiant run to the semifinals, lost back-to-back matches to miss the individual podium. As the losses piled up, their cherished dream of Paralympic hardware seemed to be slipping away.
One Final Chance
The mixed team event offered a last opportunity, but Sheetal and Rakesh knew nothing was guaranteed. A narrow semifinal loss to Iran left them battling for bronze, their medal hopes hanging by the most delicate of threads.
Another close loss would’ve been utterly heartbreaking for them. After overcoming personal tragedies, both archers had hoped that a Paralympic medal would be their brightest spark in their lives.
In a tense match against Italy, they found themselves trailing late once again. But with their backs against the wall, something clicked—they summoned four consecutive 10s to clinch the bronze in breathtaking fashion.
A Fitting Reward for Indomitable Spirits
For Sheetal, born with phocomelia—a rare condition causing missing or underdeveloped limbs—archery became an outlet to showcase her immense upper body strength, honed by years of climbing trees. At just 17, she was already a world and Asian Para Games medalist.
Rakesh’s path was equally arduous. A spinal cord injury had left the 39-year-old confined to a wheelchair, spiraling into depression. Archery gave him a renewed sense of purpose, and he attacked the sport with zeal, rising rapidly through the ranks.
To see them standing together, awash in the glow of a Paralympic podium, felt like a cosmic reward for their unbreakable resolve. The tears, the smiles, the sheer relief—a snapshot of two champions who simply refused to be denied their moment.
A Triumph to Savor
In a year bursting with indelible memories for Indian sport, Sheetal and Rakesh’s bronze stands tall. More than just a medal, it was a monument to the indomitable human spirit, to the power of chasing a dream with every fiber of one’s being.
As the applause rained down on that unforgettable Parisian evening, one couldn’t help but feel that this was a triumph whose impact would reverberate far beyond the archery range. For Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar had not just won a medal—they had crafted a legacy.
