From Suffering Permanent Disability In Leg To Winning Gold At Paralympics, Mariyappan Thangavelu Has Conquered All Odds
Mariyappan Thangavelu is a true champion.
If you look at all the people suffering with disabilities, you will realize how lucky we are. Life has been harsh on them, but that doesn't stop them from striving to be the best they can be.
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They never give up on their dreams even when the going is really tough - they have always fought their way to conquering all the odds stacked against them. One among the unshakeable fighters is para athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu.
Mariyappan was only five when he suffered permanent disability after being run over by a drunk truck driver while he was on his way to school. Despite the early setback, it didn't dishearten his spirits that were stronger than any obstacle.
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After an early interest in volleyball, he was encouraged by his school physical education instructor to try high jumping. Little did he know that it was going to change his life forever. After taking to high jump, he started to make great progress.
After a very spirited performance at the Indian national para-athletics championships, where he impressed many with his talent, he was taken under the wings by his current coach Satyanarayana in 2015.
In March 2016, Mariyappan cleared a distance of 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) in the men's high jump T¨C42 event at the IPC Grand Prix in Tunisia, qualifying him for the Rio Paralympics.
The moment of ultimate glory came in Rio, Mariyappan Thangavelu would go on to conquer the world - winning gold medal in the men's high jump T¨C42 event, with a leap of 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in).
It was nothing more than what Mariyappan's resilience deserved. Having been on the wrong end of a major setback early on in life, the Tamil Nadu native came out all fighting and reaped the rewards.
The heart, grit, and determination all come to the fore, as Mariyappan Thangavelu put his name into the records books. He is still only 24, and will be looking to add more medals to his name.
It is a story of a kid who always believed and never gave up on his dreams.
