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Deepthi Jeevanji (Getty Image)
Born to the daily-wage laborers J Yadagiri and J Dhanalaxmi in a small hamlet called Kalleda in Telangana, with an intellectual disability that impairs both communication and adaptive skills, she overcame all odds to come out all guns blazing and make it big in athletics.
Making the country proud, 20-year-old para-athlete Deepthi Jeevanji from Warangal, Telangana, won a bronze medal in the Women’s 400m T20 final at the Paris Paralympics Games on Tuesday, India’s third track medal at the Games, after Preeti Pal’s double bronze last week.
Jeevanji, the former World Record holder in this event, clocked a timing of 55.82s behind Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar who clocked a Personal Best time of 55.16s. Silver went to Turkiye’s Aysel Onder (55.23s).
Born to the daily-wage laborers J Yadagiri and J Dhanalaxmi in a small hamlet called Kalleda in Telangana, with an intellectual disability that impairs both communication and adaptive skills, she overcame all odds to come out all guns blazing and make it big in athletics.
At the age of 15, Jeevanji was first spotted by N Ramesh, a coach from the Sports Authority of India (SAI), during a state-level athletics meet. Recognizing her potential, Ramesh took her under his wing and began training her.
“She was spotted in a school meet through a PE teacher in Warangal. When I told them to send Deepthi, they said they didn’t have money for bus fare. I told them to just board a bus and give me the phone number of the conductor,” Ramesh recalled during an interview with PTI.
India’s Deepthi Jeevanji Wins Bronze in Women’s 400m T20
“After that, I explained to the bus conductor to let her board the bus and told him I would pay the fare when she reached Hyderabad. During the 130 km journey from Warangal to Hyderabad, I kept calling the bus conductor inquiring about her safety.”
Jeevanji’s journey in para athletics began with her participation in the Asian Youth Championships held in Hong Kong in 2019, where she won a bronze medal. Her pursuit of excellence, however, turned relentless as she turned up in Guwahati to win gold in both 100m and 200m events at Khelo India Youth Games 2020.
Deepthi had dreamt of starting off by setting a record at the Asian Para Games 2023: first, breaking the Games Record; then, the Asian Record; and finally, creating a World Record with a timing of 55.07s at the World Championships 2024 at Kobe, Japan, securing her qualification for the Paris Paralympics.
Deepthi’s life had always been a saga of various challenges. Her birth during a solar eclipse with unusual features. The villagers mocked at her. However, her parents, who once faced ridicule for raising a child with an intellectual impairment, now celebrate her as a world record holder and Paralympics medallist.
What is intellectual impairment?
Athletes with an Intellectual Impairment have a restriction in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour which affects conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills required for everyday life. This Impairment must be present before the age of 18.