Meet Deepa Malik! First Indian woman to win a medal at Paralympics

India's Deepa Malik created history by becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win a medal at the Paralympics when she bagged a silver in the shotput F-53 event in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

Deepa's best throw of 4.61m from her six attempts was enough to clinch the silver medal, giving India it's third medal from the Game after Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati won gold and bronze respectively in men's high jump.



Besides

shotput, Deepa has participated in javelin throw, swimming and has also been a motivational speaker.

She has also won medals in swimming at international competitions. She holds the Asian record in javelin throw, and also has World Championships silver medals in shot put and discus in 2011.

Deepa is a paraplegic, paralysed from waist down. She is a mother of two and wife of an Army officer. Life took a twist when a spinal tumour made walking impossible for her 17 years ago.

The spinal tumour had to be operated and 31 surgeries were conducted on Deepa which was healed after 183 stitches between her waist and legs.

Deepa began training in the javelin and shot put in 2006. In the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she finished sixth in her category in the shot put.

A bronze medal at the 2010 Para Asian Games was followed by silver at the Para Asian Games in 2014.

Deepa subsequently became a navigator and driver in the Raid-de-Himalaya 2009 and Desert Storm 2010.