Avani Lekhara’s wheelchair might not be the first thing you notice; her radiant smile and confidence are immediately striking. Despite her unparalleled success as a Paralympic shooter, Avani maintains a natural modesty, embodying the grace of an athlete who acknowledges her strengths while believing her best achievements are yet to come.
At just 22, Avani has already made history by becoming the first Indian to win back-to-back gold medals at the Paralympics. Paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident at age 11, she clinched gold in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) competition in Chateauroux, successfully defending her title from the Tokyo Games.
Despite her accomplishments, Avani faced significant challenges leading up to the Paris Games, including a gallbladder surgery in March that interrupted her training. “I had a surgery in March and I was off the range, I was not practising… mentally (it) hampered me because I was not training months away from the Paralympics,” Avani shared. She noted that the surgery affected her core muscles, requiring extensive work to regain her strength. “Even though it’s a small surgery, a lot of core muscles weren’t working the way they were before and so I had to work on that more. My team worked heavily to get me back on track for Paris,” she said.
Avani, an assistant conservator of forests with the Rajasthan government, also had to cope with weight loss and health issues. Despite these setbacks, her determination remained steadfast. During the national camp at the Karni Singh ranges, she worked tirelessly to rebuild her strength and focus on the upcoming challenges.
Avani’s perseverance paid off when she broke her own Paralympic record with a score of 249.7, clinching gold in a tightly contested final. She secured the top position ahead of Korea’s Lee Yunri, who won silver with 246.8, and Mona, who took bronze with a score of 228.7. This achievement marked India’s first double podium finish in the same event at the Paralympic Games.
Avani’s success is reminiscent of javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, the only other Indian to win two gold medals at the Games. However, unlike Jhajharia, Avani has achieved this remarkable feat across consecutive Games.
