Avani Lekhara made history for India by winning consecutive gold medals at the Paralympics. On Friday, the Indian shooter won the gold medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Final. The shooter from Rajasthan achieved a historic feat by becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win more than one gold medal at the Paralympics. Earlier, she had won gold at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Surgery before the Paralympics
This was not an easy win for the Rajasthani shooter. The 22-year-old underwent serious surgery just five months before the Paris Paralympics to remove gallbladder stones. The pain from the stones had made her training difficult. Avani has now won her third Paralympic medal, having previously clinched one gold and one bronze at the Tokyo Games.
Due to the surgery, she did not get enough time to prepare for the Paris Paralympics. Yet, she defied the odds and won the gold medal again. “Avani wanted to give her best at the Paris Paralympics, so we decided to get the gallbladder removed in March this year. It took her some time to recover, and it was a tough phase. But at the end of this challenging year, she has achieved a historic feat,” said her father, who has always been a strong support system for her.
Doctors recommended rest, but she didn’t listen
Her former coach, Chandra Shekar, remembers the challenge of getting Avani back in shape after her surgery-required rest period. “Avani competed in the New Delhi World Cup last year while dealing with constant pain, which affected her progress. After the surgery, doctors recommended two months of rest. When she started training again, her weakened muscles posed a major challenge. We went back to basics, concentrating on dry/shadow loading. During shooting, her body would sometimes tremble due to weak neuromuscular memory post-recovery. Once her neuromuscular memory was fully restored, we gradually increased the number of targets. She was back on track just in time for Paris,” said coach Shekar.
Two more events to go
Avani secured India’s first Paralympic quota at the Para World Cup in Paris in 2022. Although she won a bronze at the Para Shooting World Cup in Delhi last year, where fellow Indian Mona Aggarwal clinched the gold, Avani struggled with persistent pain. At the Paris Paralympics, Avani will also compete in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Prone SH1 event and the Women’s 50m Rifle 3P event.
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