Indian Paralympics star Sheetal Devi has stolen the show with her incredible technique at the Paris 2024 Games.
The 17 year-old archer has the rare congenital disorder phocomelia, which saw her born without any arms.
But that hasn’t stopped her pursuing her dreams, with Devi the first and only female archer without any upper limbs to claim an international title, courtesy of the two gold medals she won at the 2022 Asian Para Games in China.
And those skills were in full force in the French capital, with Devi using her right leg to raise the bow, pulling the string back with her right shoulder before then releasing the arrow with her jaw.
In one clip, which has gone viral, Devi records a perfect score of ten with the cleanest of bullseyes.
Piers Morgan is one of a number of famous faces to applaud Devi for her heroics, with the TV presenter’s comments on X filled with heartwarming messages for the newest star of the Paris Games – as well as for the dedication and commitment shown by Paralympic athletes in general.
One user said: ‘Their character and resilience are enviable and commendable. I feel humbled by their strength in the face of adversity. Amazing.’
Another simply put: ‘There’s always ability in disabilities.’
Former US wheelchair rugby champion Derrick Helton, meanwhile, commented: ‘Armless archers are league of there own! I’m a retired Paralympian and that stuff is legend to me!’
Sadly, it wasn’t enough for Devi to progress through to the next round, narrowly losing 138-137 to Chile’s Mariana Zuniga.
Devi will have another opportunity to go for a medal, however, with the teenager competing in the Mixed Team Compound alongside Rakesh Kumar, with whom she set a world record score in last week’s Ranking Round.
Speaking before the Games, Devi revealed that her past successes were spurring her on to claim the biggest prize in her sport – Paralympics gold.
‘I am inspired to win the gold,’ Devi said before the competition got underway in Paris.
‘Whenever I see the medals I have won, I feel inspired to win more. I have only just started.’
Devi competes in the Compound Open women’s category, which is for athletes in a wheelchair with impairment in the top or bottom half or one side of their bodies, or for those who have balance difficulty and shoot standing or resting on a stool.
Her stellar rise to the very top of para-archery is made all the more remarkable by the fact that Devi had no experience of the sport until she was 15.
Having been encouraged by a friend, Devi’s first venture into the world of para-archery came at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board sports complex in the Indian city of Katra.
Devi’s training routine initially started out by using a rubber band to aim at targets five metres away, which helped develop her confidence and hone her skills.
Recognising Devi’s potential, her coaches further encouraged her to use the strength in her legs and upper body, which she had amassed from years of using her feet for activities such as writing and climbing.
‘I felt this was impossible,’ Devi added. ‘My legs used to ache a lot but somehow I did it.’
Well, Devi, it turns out it wasn’t impossible afterall.
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