India opened its account in the athletics competitions at the Paris Paralympics with a bronze medal as sprinter Preeti Pal finished third in the Women’s 100m – T35 Final with a personal best time at Stade de France on Friday. The 23-year-old Preeti clocked 14.21 seconds, which is also her personal best to finish third. China’s world record-holder Zhou Xia won gold in 13.58 seconds while her compatriot Guo Qianqian took silver in 13.74 seconds. A bronze medallist in the World Para-Athletics Championship 2024, Preeti is a gold medallist in both the Indian Open Para Athletics International Championship (2024) and the National Para Athletics Championship (2024). She had narrowly missed a place on the podium in the 2022 Asian Para Games at Hangzhou last year, finishing fourth.

However, on Friday, the 23-year-old, who hails from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, could not be denied her place under the spotlight.

She came up with a superb performance and achieved her best timing ever to win the bronze medal.

Born to a farmer’s family in rural UP, Preeti faced significant physical challenges from the day she was born as her lower body had to be plastered for six days after birth. Weak legs and an irregular leg posture mean she was prone to various diseases.

Preeti underwent various traditional treatments to strengthen her legs but had to start wearing callipers at the age of five and wore them for eight years. Despite many doubting her survival, she proved to be a fighter, overcoming life-threatening conditions to demonstrate incredible strength and resilience.

She got interested in para-sports at the age of 17 after watching clips of the Paralympic Games on social media. Her life changed a few years after starting to practice athletics when she met her mentor, Paralympian Fathima Khatoon.

Encouraged by Fathima, Preeti took part in district, state, and national competitions and made her international appearance at the Asian Para Games last year.

To qualify for the Paris Paralympic Games, Preeti moved to New Delhi to train under coach Gajender Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the national capital. With help from her coach, she refined her running techniques, leading to significant improvements in her timing.

Preeti bagged her first international medal in the World Para Athletics Championship, where she claimed bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024.

On Friday, Preeti fulfilled her dream by bagging a bronze medal in the Women’s 100m T35. She will next take part in the 200m event to aim for a second medal in the debut Paralympics.

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