Praveen Kumar etched his name in India's sporting folklore with a gold medal in the men's high jump men's high jump T64 event at the Paralympics on Saturday -- his second Games medal after he clinched silver in Tokyo.
The 21 year old from Noida set a new Paralympics record with a 2.08m jump, sealing his victory.
Born with a congenital condition affecting his left leg, Praveen's journey to Paris has not been easy. Just three months ago, a groin injury almost kept him out of the Games.
While it affected his performance at the World Championships, he managed to conquer the pain and finished third to qualify for Paris.
A determined Praveen then fought through the pain, as he not only recovered in just two weeks, but also returned to top form thanks to the support of his coach Satyapal Singh.
Praveen, who grew up battling insecurities due to his impairment, took to volleyball before discovering his talent in the high jump while participating in an able-bodied athletics competition, which paved the start of his incredible journey in para sports.
This experience exposed him to the vast opportunities available for athletes with disabilities, igniting a new and inspiring trajectory in his journey.
'I want to give credit for my success to my coach Satyapal sir, my sponsors and my physio. When I got injured three month back, they supported me wholeheartedly. I had a groin problem and I want to thank all of them for their support.
'During the World Championships in June, I had an injury. I wasn't able to exert myself much. So, I spoke to my coach and he got an MRI done. The priority was to heal the injury as quickly as possible and we achieved it in 15 days,' added Praveen, who hails from Govindgarh village in Gautam Budh Nagar in UP and had won silver at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
The high jumper added that following his recovery, his coach kept pushing him to cross 2.05m in training.
'He (Coach Satyapal Singh) kept focusing on that 2.05m mark and I tried to ensure the horizontal bar didn't fall. Every time I went for the jump, I was only aiming for my personal best.
'In fact, before the Paralympics I was clearing 2:08m and 2.10m, but here in Paris I could do only 2.08m,' said Praveen.
Praveen credited his family for his success, saying his parents always wanted him to achieve a personal best irrespective of whether he returned with a medal or not.
'Before I took off for the 2.08m jump that fetched me the gold medal, I closed my eyes and saw my parents and coach urging me to go for the record. I thought they had always wanted me to win the gold here,' added Praveen.
"My family supported me a lot. When I was on my way to Paris, they said 'Try giving your personal best. Medal is not that important, but you should do your personal best'. That was always on my mind and I improved my personal best by one cm.'
