At the Paralympics on Friday, Preethi Pal of India earned a bronze medal in the women’s T35 100-meter event with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds. With her bronze, 23-year-old Preethi earned India’s first paralympic medal in the history of the Paris Games.
The gold went to Zhou Xia (13.58) of China, and the silver went to Guo Qianqian (13.74). Athletes with cerebral palsy and coordination problems such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis are classified as T35.
Preeti’s parents were farmers. She had severe physical difficulties from birth; six days after her birth, her lower body was glued. Due to her weak legs and atypical leg position, she is more vulnerable to different types of illnesses. To strengthen her legs, she received a variety of conventional procedures.
She began wearing calipers at the age of five and did so for eight years. Preeti showed remarkable strength and tenacity as she triumphed over life-threatening circumstances, surprising many who doubted her ability to survive.
When Preethi watched the Paralympic Games on social media at the age of 17, her viewpoint started to change. She felt motivated and understood that she could follow her aspirations as well.
Preeti stayed driven and set her sights on the Paralympic Games even though she didn’t medal in the Asian Para Games. In order to practice with Coach Gajender Singh, she relocated to Delhi. They worked together to enhance her running technique, which resulted in notable gains in her performance.
Preeti’s commitment to excellence and perseverance paid off when she was chosen to compete in the World Para Athletics Championship in 2024, where she performed admirably and took home bronze in the 100 and 200-meter races.