Sheetal Devi Aims for Gold at Paris Paralympics

Sheetal Devi, a 17-year-old para-archer from India, is set to compete at the 2024 Paralympics, aiming for gold as the world’s first and only active female archer without arms due to her condition, phocomelia. Despite her challenges, she has risen to become the world number one in the compound open women's category, with significant achievements including a silver medal at the Para-Archery World Championship and two golds at the 2023 Para-Asian Games. Meanwhile, shooter Rudransh Khandelwal, who lost his left leg in an accident at age eight, is also preparing for the Paralympics, ranked world No.1 in the 50m pistol (SH1) and determined to be ready for any equipment failures. He is carrying a spare pistol and toolkit for his prosthetic leg, having learned from past incidents of malfunctions during competitions. Both athletes highlight the spirit and resilience of para-athletes, as they prepare to compete among approximately 4,400 athletes from around the globe across 22 sports. The Paralympics will commence on August 28, 2024, in Paris.