Living with a disability can be challenging. People look at you either with pity or mockery. You are constantly reminded how “different” you are, but not in a good way. This can lead many people to choose a reclusive life. However, some conquer their disabilities and show the world that such challenges can never stop them from achieving their dreams. Sharath Gayakwad from India is one such person.
Sharath Gayakwad, the para-athlete
Sharath was born with a congenital deformity in his left hand. As such, not many people in his life thought he would be a sports superstar. Right from childhood, Sharath had shown an interest in football and cricket. However, swimming later turned out to be his true calling.
When Sharath was 9, his school made it compulsory that he learn to swim. His parents were apprehensive that their child would get caught up in a life-threatening scenario. However, the principal assured them that it was for the child’s good that he learned how to swim. Once Sharath started taking swimming classes, he discovered that he loved it. His swimming coach believed Sharath had the skills to be a great swimmer and became his mentor.
In his first national event, Sharath got four gold medals. This encouraged him to embrace swimming as a career. In the 2014 Asian para-games conducted at Incheon, South Korea, Sharath created history by winning the most number of medals by an Indian in any multi-disciplinary event. He won six medals at the games. As of 2018, Sharath earned around 55 national medals and 39 international medals.
As to what he thinks of his disability, Sharath is not too concerned with it. “It is a part of me and I have accepted it and even found a way where it doesn’t matter anymore. Yes, I am at a disadvantage, but it doesn’t stop me from doing anything that I actually want to do,” he said in a statement (The Optimist Citizen).
In November 2014, Sharath co-founded the startup Gamatics in Bengaluru. In 2015, it was incubated at NSRCEL, the startup incubator at IIM Bangalore. The startup is a marketplace for high-performance sports gear. It also lists nearby physiotherapists and nutritionists who can help athletes keep their bodies in prime condition.
First UNICEF appointee with a disability
Major Gopal Mitra is another disabled person who has been inspiring a lot of Indians of late. Gopal joined the Indian Army in 1995 and played an active role in the 1999 Kargil conflict. During a search and rescue operation in 2000, Gopal lost his vision in an IED blast.
Unfazed by this setback, the Major went on to complete a Master’s degree in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics. In February this year, it was revealed that Gopal was the first disabled Indian to be appointed at the UNICEF headquarters.
According to estimates, there are up to 220 million disabled youth worldwide. Gopal feels governments worldwide need to frame policies that would bring such people into the mainstream, where they won’t be treated with prejudice. Not doing so would be a “huge loss of potential,” Gopal believes.
