Unbreakable, Unstoppable: Gujarat’s para athletes rewrite the rules of victory

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A suicide attempt at the age of eight and then the determination to be unstoppable. That’s para-cyclist Geeta Rao who has given tenacity a new meaning by keeping her feet on the pedal, literally and figuratively, to cover new grounds, no matter how difficult — all this with one active leg. Geeta’s right leg was paralysed when she was just three, but her do-or-die spirit has made her an icon of resilience and winner of many competitions.

Not someone to rest on her numerous laurels, Geeta recently set out on her first-ever bikepacking adventure in the rough terrain of Gujarat’s Polo forests with her sister, brushing aside doctor’s concerns about her weakening muscles. “I don’t really worry about what doctors say, and always follow my instincts,” says Geeta. This time, her instinct led to one of the most thrilling experiences ever. “I rode through the forest with 25kg of essentials strapped to my bike,” says the 46-year-old, once again exemplifying that if the will is strong, no road is difficult.
“There have been many challenges along the way, but my family has remained the wind under my sails, supporting me through it all,” says Geeta, who was once a vulnerable little child, on the verge of breaking from society’s insensitive jabs.
One wrong injection administered when a three-year-old Geeta was burning with high fever ended what could have been a normal childhood for her. “Not only did this render my entire body paralysed, leaving me bed-ridden for a long time, it also affected my mental growth.”
But she overcame this too and began proving her brilliance at school, but a crude comment about her disability from a classmate’s parent crushed her. “I must have been eight then. Devastated by the words, I tried to hang myself. My family was shocked but rallied around to ensure I was always treated as an equal,” she reminisces. It took long and excruciating physiotherapy sessions before she could walk with crutches and turned the course of her life forever in 2016 by cycling on Ahmedabad’s roads. Geeta hasn’t looked back since.
She picked up her first international silver at the 2022 Asian Road & Para cycling Championships (ROAD) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Some months later, at Asian Track Cycling Championships, she raced to scoop the silver again. In 2024, she competed in the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Italy and Belgium, finishing ninth at both events.
Saying it’s been a wonderful journey so far, Geeta has no plans to stop. “The wheels will always be in motion,” she says.
Paddle power defies all odds
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When 29-year-old paddler Bhavika Kukadiya takes on her opponents, her quick reflexes and agility bely the fact that she has 75% physical disability due to a curved spine. Bhavika was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and doctors had predicted a challenging life ahead. Perhaps they failed to gauge her indomitable spirit.

Her remarkable journey from being unable to walk until age five to becoming India’s top-ranked para table tennis player showcases the triumph of human spirit over adversity. As No. 1 on the Table Tennis Federation of India’s rankings for para players, she is proudly representing India at the ITTF World Para Future Lignano tournament 2025 currently being played in Italy.
“I wanted to prove that disability is not a barrier between you and your dreams,” Bhavika told TOI before leaving for the tournament and credited her mother’s unwavering support for her achievements.
Bhavika comes from a family of limited means — her father and brother run a tailoring shop.After completing her diploma in computer engineering and working as a data operator to supplement the family income, Bhavika discovered her passion for table tennis and decided to give it a shot. She developed her skills under the guidance of coach Najmi Kinkhabwala, and began competing professionally.
Despite her laurels, financial constraints have been a constant challenge throughout her sporting career. “I received assistance from the Gujarat govt and the Sport Authority of India as well to meet expenses for the majority of events,” she says, but securing sponsorships for international events has been tough. Her coach, Hraday Desai, calls her an inspiration. “Her story exemplifies how determination, coupled with family support and proper guidance, can help overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges,” he says.
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Bed-ridden nine years ago after a freak accident during a Pavagadh trek, Garima Vyas could have slipped into depression. Instead, this 23-year-old paraplegic dived into the swimming pool and is now, competing globally, and making Gujarat proud. Garima shattered two national records at the recent Para Swimming World Series in Australia.

“It’s like a dream come true. When I started swimming to improve body movement after the mishap, I didn’t think that someday I would break records and win international medals,” says Garima, explaining why such wins are extra special for people like her.
“For paraplegics, making even normal body movements is an extremely difficult task. So, swimming is almost out of question as half of their body refuses to cooperate,” says the spirited swimmer.
“Being in the water on my own is a liberating feeling,” she says, her recognitions in the pool reflecting her love for the sport, and her Masters degree in clinical psychology from M S University showing her brilliance out of it. In 2022, Garima won her first gold at the 21st National Para Swimming Championship and set a new record in the 50m category.
Since then, she remains a contestant to look out for at key tournaments. Under the surface of it all is a strict regimen to train the body and the mind. “Despite her condition, Garima put in all her mental and physical strength to swim like a champ,” says her proud mother Kejal.
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When Komal Raval travelled to Palanpur in north Gujarat’s Banaskantha district in 2017 to participate in a para athletics meet, little did she realise that the competition would open a door for her in another sport.

An observer at the competition suggested she shift to para judo for better results. However, instead of leaving para athletics for para judo, Komal, who has vision impairment, dabbled in both and has achieved equal success in each.
At the 23rd National Athletics Championship for the Blind in Nadiad last Dec, Komal won a silver in shot put and a bronze in discus throw competing in T-30. While competing in para judo for the first time at the national level, she clinched a silver medal in J-2 (60% visually impaired) at the recently concluded 13th National Para Judo Championships 2025 in Lucknow.
Komal, who hails from Dharoi village in Mehsana’s Satlasana taluka, competed in the 68-71kg weight class and outclassed two competitors before falling to Maharashtra’s Vrushali in the final bout. “I used to be in athletics but when I was introduced to para judo, I liked the sport very much. I didn’t have much experience then and was interested in knowing and playing the sport,” she tells TOI. “Thereafter, the Para Sports Association of Gujarat helped me get a coach, who taught me about the sport. With more training, I can win a gold in future,” the 35-year-old adds.
Effusive in her praise is coach Akash Thakor. “She played really well in Lucknow to win a silver. With a little more practice and training, she can challenge for the gold. She needs to make some changes to her game.” Asked if she would continue playing both, Komal replies in the affirmative. “I will continue participating in para athletics and para judo. I wish to bring laurels for India at the global level in both sports,” says the confident champ.

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This 33-year-old tribal woman may be deaf and mute, but stories of her sporting achievements are echoing worldwide. At the recently held Ice Stock Winter National Championship in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, Vyara resident Eva Patel, lifted a gold in the team event of Ice Stock sports while competing with able-bodied sportspersons. Currently, she is part of the Indian contingent at the international Ice Stock championship in Austria.

The past few years have seen Eva, a graduate in social work, emerged as a formidable player of the Gujarat team, participating in the Indian Ice Stock Sport Federation’s national events. Victory in sports may not be that challenging for Eva as her battles on various fronts, including her medically proven 64% disability.
In 2006, her father died due to illness, leaving her mother, Alka, as her sole support. Alka, a now-retired schoolteacher, cannot stop gushing about her daughter’s multi-faceted achievements.
“Eva is also Bharatanatyam visharad and has performed abroad as well. She is my only child and the best one can have. Her artistic talents extend to drawing and painting, while her dedication to martial arts has earned her a black belt. While scoring on these fronts, she also studied fashion designing,” says the proud mother.
Her coach Vikash Verma too cannot praise her enough. “Eva is an example for all. She contests with able-bodied sportspersons and finishes with victory.” Through gestures, Eva tells her mother after each victory that, “she will work even harder to challenge her physical condition”. We truly believe.
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Teased as a child with a limp, Dinkal Gorkha would break into tears. At nine, charged by the electrifying 2014 film biopic on Mary Kom, Dinkal decided it was time to wipe the tears, fight back and kick down some social stereotypes while at it. At 13, she chose to learn kickboxing, despite many saying it wasn’t the sport for someone with an impaired leg. But the tough teen proved that the rigours of the sport were no deterrent, says her coach Siddharth Bhalegare.

The hard work paid off as Dinkal, over the next six years, went on to win several state as well as national championships, and that too in the open category. “I was advised to participate in the para category but that wasn’t for me.”
Last year, she added new feathers in her cap by winning a silver in the point fight senior female category and a bronze in the light contact category at the Kickboxing World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Dinkal looks back at the horrific bus accident in which her mother, Shobha, lost both her legs and she nearly lost her left leg. “I was just three years old and was left with a limp. This was just the beginning of a tough phase,” she says. Years went by and Dinkal dedicated herself to training, while her mother had to resort to bootlegging to make ends meet. “I had a lot to fight against – the stigma of being associated with a bootlegger, and society’s narrow outlook for the physically challenged. Cops barging into our home are scary memories, which thankfully, are fading.” Shobha now runs a food stall while Dinkal has set her sights on her next goal, the Olympics.