From Starting Blocks to Finish Line: Simran's story of grit, sacrifice and Paralympic medal

India Gazette

26-05-2025

New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): In a recent appearance at the House of Glory podcast, an initiative by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation, Paralympian Simran Sharma shared her challenging journey and the battles she fought.
She highlighted that her path to the track was not typical, it was filled with challenges on every step, which started right from the time she was born.
Simran recalled while speaking at the House of Glory podcast, 'Doctors said I wouldn't make it, and back then, no one was too bothered - it was early, and I was a girl. But my father decided to keep me alive. I survived without machines, but with many problems. I grew up with weak eyes, muscles, and body. I never even dreamt of the Olympics - just hoped for a small job to support my family.'
2024 Paris Paralympics bronze medallist also praised her husband for the support in her journey.
'He never let me do household work. He said just eat well and train. He made sure I didn't wear a veil, didn't follow the restrictions women in our village were used to. He had one goal - the Olympics,' Sharma said.
Recalling the training days, her husband Gajendra said he used to spend hours in kitchen working on the diet of paralympian.
'There were days I trained her so hard, she'd be vomiting on the ground,' Armyman Gajendra remembered. 'My mother saw her once and asked me, 'Are you trying to kill her?' But I knew what she needed to reach that level. I used to spend hours in the kitchen working on her diet and on the field training her methodically.'
But behind the physical struggle was a mental one, Simran Sharma pointed out.
She stated that at the 2019 World Championships her father was on a ventilator and her husband was drowning in debt from her training.
'My dad's medicine cost Rs. 150, and we couldn't afford it. Everyone blamed my husband for supporting me. I broke down. I thought, maybe if I'm not there, the problems will go too. I tried to commit suicide,' Simran revealed.
But again with her husband's help and support, she was able to bounce back as she shared, 'He said, 'We'll fall, but we'll rise again. We'll never give up. I'm with you till the end.'
Simran clinched a bronze medal in the women's 200m T12 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by clocking a personal best timing of 24.75s, alongside her guide Abhay Singh.
The T12 class is for runners with a visual impairment, hence athletes run with a guide on the track. (ANI)