Natalia Dorota Partyka

Natalia Dorota Partyka

Natalia Dorota Partyka was born on  27 july 1989.The 23-year-old was born without a right forearm and has to carefully balance the ball in the folds of skin at the end of her elbow before dropping it on to her swishing bat.Partyka began playing table tennis at the age of one to seven years.

For me, it (disability) is nothing, she told reporters after losing her third round match to Netherlands Jie Li. I am playing the same lines as the others. I am doing the same exercises.I get a bit bored about being asked about disability all the time.She is happy, however, if her achievements act as an inspiration to others.Maybe someone will see me and realize that their own disability is not the end of the world, she said.

Maybe someone will look at me and think they can achieve something bigger than they thought. Maybe sometimes you have to work a little bit harder if you really want to do something. If I’m an inspiration I can’t complain.

She won her first international table tennis medal in 1999 at the disabled World Championships. At the age of 11, when she competed at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, she became the world's youngest ever Paralympian. In 2004, she won a gold medal in the singles event and silver in the team event at the Athens Paralympics. 

Also in 2004, she won two gold medals at the International Table Tennis Federation's European Championships for Cadets, which was open to able-bodied competitors. In 2006, Partyka won three gold medals at the European Paralympic Championships, one gold and two silvers at the International Paralympic Committee's Table Tennis World Championships for Disabled, and a silver in the team event at the ITTF European Junior Championship. 

She also won two silver medals and one bronze at the 2007 edition of that competition. Also in 2007, Partyka won three gold medals at the European Paralympic Championships, and a bronze at the ITTF World Junior Teams Championships.

"We have the same goals and the same dreams and I can play like them. I can serve and don’t have any problems."

Bharat Kumar

Bharat Kumar

Bharat Kumar was born  Dec 10, 1989  with a right hand by birth, but his physical disability never dissuade him from pursuing his dreams. a world champion, has made Bharat (India) proud by winning over 50 medals in para- swimming contest.But if we scratch the silver lining, then his life is full of heart-wrenching hurdles. Even after achieving the feat and turning odds in his favour, poor Bharat's contribution in making India proud has been sadly ignored.

Today, he is forced to wash cars to make his both ends meet and situation has come to the point that he may have to sell his hard-won medals to earn money.Like Cricket star Virender Sehwag and national level wrestler Sushil Kumar, Bharat is also a native of Haryana (a state that has given many sports-persons to this nation) and lives in south-west Delhi's Najafagrh area, in a small house.

His old parents are daily-wage labourers, who dig soil. He has three younger brothers to take care of and his two sisters are married.Bharat, who was born and brought up in a poverty-stricken family learnt swimming by holding the tail of buffalo! Swimming became his passion in 2002 and formally started practicing in 2004 at Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

He says that at least Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 are required per month to take proper training and nutrition requirements. But he has no-one to sponsor for his training.27-year-old Bharat and his family have ran from pillar to post to the concerned authorities and to Delhi government, but their repeated pleas fell on deaf ears.

As part of mementos, his medals and his photographs with former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MDH owner Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, and other bigwigs are decoarted on the walls of his room.

Deepa Malik

Deepa Malik

Deepa malik was born on 30 September 1970 is an indian athlete.mother of two, she created a special bond with her elder daughter devika, who also developed an impairment at an early age. When deepa was again diagnosed with tumours, which ended up in the surgery that left her paralysed from the waist down, Devika began presenting the symptoms of hemiplegia that limited the movements on her left side. “Just as I was getting used to bringing up Devika with her challenges, I was myself bedridden. I was learning my new body. Somewhere I felt maybe destiny got me to this, to be a role model for my child to exercise.” Years later Devika even represented India in international Para athletics competitions. “In our house, whenever there's cooking, it's family time. 

Deepa Malik is the first Indian woman to win a Medal at the Paralympics. She won silver medal in the shot put at 2016 Paralympic Games. She was previously honored with the Arjuna award in 2012, at the age of 42 years.

She has also been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2017. She created a New Asian Record in Asian Para Games 2018 and is the only Indian woman to win medals in 3 consecutive Asian Para Games (2010, 2014, 2018). She has won 58 national & 23 International medals across all disciplines to date.

She is a member of the working group in the formulation 12th five-year plan (2012–2017) on sports and physical education as nominated by the Planning Commission HRD Division on behalf of the Sports Ministry. She is also the 'Clean India' brand ambassador for NMDC and expert consultant for Disability Inclusive Accessible Infrastructure for Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs 'Smart Cities' project.

" People will always look at you the way you look at your self "

Shekar Naik

Shekhar Naik

Shekhar Naik was born on 7 April 1986.Naik was born in Arakere in southern karnataka as the son of a farmer. He was born completely blind, and his mother and 15 members of his family also suffered from visual impairment. Naik injured his head after falling down along the bank of a river when he was seven.

He was taken to a health camp organised nearby, and during the treatment the doctors realised the possibility of restoring sight in his right eye. He was subsequently operated upon in Bangalore and was able to get 60% of his vision in his right eye.His father died soon after, and he was sent to the Shri Sharada Devi School for the Blind in Shimoga. He learnt to play cricket while at the school.

 He worked in the fields during the summer holidays to fund his cricketing ambitions. His mother died when he was 12. While not playing, he works as a sports coordinator for an NGO called Samarthanam, which funds the Cricket Association for the Blind in India. He has two daughters.

 Naik is now stepping into a new venture. He has kick-started the Shekhar Naik Foundation, a sports academy exclusively for aspiring blind cricketers! Naik claims that his new academy is the first of its kind in India.This sports academy was inaugurated on 11 November, and is located at Shimoga in Karnataka. 

It was inaugurated by Ashok Naik who is the MLA of Shimoga. Shekhar Naik Foundation already has 25 youngsters enrolled for training. There are 15 school students and 10 adults of different age groups who are now part of the venture. All of them belong to the southern part of Karnataka.