Avani Lekhara hopes her Gold medal will inspire people with disabilities to believe in their dreams

Avani Lekhara hopes her Gold medal will inspire people with disabilities to believe in their dreams

Avani Lekhara hopes her Gold medal will inspire people with disabilities to believe in their dreams

Avani Lekhara feels ‘on top of the world’ after winning the historic gold medal for India at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, hoping to be that someone who can make the people with disabilities believe in their dreams and that nothing is impossible with hard work, right attitude and perseverance.

Lekhara, 19, became the first Indian women to win a Gold medal in Olympic or Paralympic Games after she clinched the Gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing (SH1) at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. And the Indian did it in style, equalling the World Record (EWR) and breaking the Paralympic record (PR) scoring 249.6 points in the R2 Finals.

“I am so happy, grateful, overwhelmed. I can’t describe the feeling. I feel like I'm on the Top of the World,” Lekhara told the Paralympic Committee of India.

“I want to dedicate this Gold medal to all physically and mentally challenged people and tell them that if you believe in yourself, you can achieve everything in the world.

“I hope to be that one person people with disabilities can look up to and think, if she can, why cannot I? I want to make them believe that nothing is impossible and motivate them to achieve their dreams,” she added.

‘Focus on one shot at a time’

Throughout the finals, the promising shooter from Jaipur showed nerves of steel and stayed focused. She went to defeat a star-studded field that had reigning Paralympic champion Zhang Cuiping of China, who scored 248.9 to take silver and Ukraine’s Shchetnik Iryna, the Sydney 2019 Worlds silver medallist, who took the bronze with 227.5.

 "I was just focusing on the process and taking one shot at a time. I gave my 100 percent.”

 “The key to success is having the right attitude, staying positive and focused and not thinking too much about the result or medals,” said Lekhara, who is pursuing Law from Rajasthan University.

Lekhara, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, said she always felt connected with Shooting ever since she started playing it in 2015. “Focus and consistency, that's what I like about shooting."

“I would like to thank my parents, my coaches, my support staff and all who supported me for this Gold medal. This medal is for India,” said Lekhara who idolises Olympic shooting star Abhinav Bindra.

‘Gold medal well deserving’

Chief National coach J.P. Nautiyal was elated over his wards’ show and said: “Avani winning the Gold medal was well deserved to.”

“She has done exactly what we have been doing in the training, and followed the process. She has definitely set an example for the upcoming shooters in the country. I don’t tell the players to go out and win a medal but to give their best in every shot and that can together produce a great result.”

“Certainly, Avani has matured as a player. Now she knows what is best and how to achieve it. She knows that if you have to reach the top, it would be through only hard work, hard work and hard work,” he added.