Never dreamt of Olympics, just hoped for a job to support family, says Paralympian Simran

New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Paralympian Simran Sharma shared her challenging journey and the battles she fought from being a premature baby not expected to survive to representing India on the world stage, her journey is one of grit, heartbreak and unshakeable resolve.

Her path to the track was not typical, it was filled with challenges on every step, which started right from the time she was born.

"Doctors said I wouldn’t make it, and back then, no one was too bothered - it was early, and I was a girl. But my father decided to keep me alive. I survived without machines but with many problems. I grew up with weak eyes, muscles, and body. I never even dreamt of the Olympics - just hoped for a small job to support my family," Simran recalled at the House of Glory podcast, an initiative by the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation.

But everything changed after marriage. Gajendra Singh, her husband and coach, saw a spark in her. “He never let me do household work. He said just eat well and train. He made sure I didn’t wear a veil, didn’t follow the restrictions women in our village were used to. He had one goal - the Olympics,” shared the 2024 Paris Paralympics bronze medallist.

“There were days I trained her so hard, she’d be vomiting on the ground,” Armyman Gajendra remembered. “My mother saw her once and asked me, ‘Are you trying to kill her?’ But I knew what she needed to reach that level. I used to spend hours in the kitchen working on her diet and on the field training her methodically.”

But behind the physical struggle was a mental one. At the 2019 World Championships, Simran competed while her father was on a ventilator and her husband was drowning in debt from her training.

“My dad’s medicine cost Rs 150 and we couldn’t afford it. Everyone blamed my husband for supporting me. I broke down. I thought, maybe if I’m not there, the problems will go too. I tried to commit suicide,” Simran revealed.

But again with her husband's help and support, she was able to bounce back as she shared, “He said, ‘We’ll fall, but we’ll rise again. We’ll never give up. I’m with you till the end’."

Now, Simran has returned stronger - mentally, physically and emotionally. She’s built homes for her mother and mother-in-law, also winning her first-ever Paralympics bronze medal. Simran’s story is not just one of athletic ambition - it’s about breaking odds, healing and redefining what support looks like.

--IANS

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