Paralympic medallist Sheetal Devi inspires 13-year-old girl without arms and legs

India’s Sheetal Devi, who reached worldwide popularity shooting with her leg, won her first Paralympic medal on Monday in Paris 2024, with compound mixed team bronze.

“I feel delighted,” she said. “I’m proud I could participate in the Games at such a young age.”

“I came here for a medal, and when I stood on the podium, I thought I won a medal at each event [I took part], so I also had to win the Paralympic medal.”

The 17-year-old earned drew attention in her debut season last year, when she sensationally won silver at the World Archery Para Championships. Her story also made headlines on the official website of the International Paralympic Committee.

Since then, Devi medalled at every competition she entered. 

At Paris 2024, the Indian became the second armless archer to win a Paralympic medal, after American Matt Stutzman, who completed his career with gold at these Games. 

They two met last year in Pilsen, and Matt warmly embraced Sheetal into the armless archery family.

Matt gave Sheetal a few tips on how to enhance her performance, before emotionally cheering her on during the women’s compound gold medal final.

Devi’s achievements and videos of her shooting with her legs went viral – and the young athlete is an inspiration.

She set up an Instagram channel that has reached over 329,000 followers, as she desires to uplift other people with disabilities, especially children.

“After I won the medal in the Asian Games, I started my Instagram account. I immediately got a lot of followers,” Devi recalled.

“I decided that I would handle my channel, only when I achieve more medals,” she added.

And she’s now clinched one – mixed team bronze – at the Paralympics.

With the numbers her account has reached, the young Indian archer gives hope by inspiring children with impairment. 

“I want more and more people like me, who believe they can achieve something despite disabilities,” she said.

“I received a lot of messages. I’m happy that people follow me, they write, and I can inspire them.”

And just recently, she changed the life of someone in particular.

“A girl from our village, younger than me, wrote a message. She was 13 years old, and had no arms, no legs. When I saw her message, I was very happy.”

The girl started shooting in the same club as Devi, and Sheetal’s coach, Kuldeep Vedwan, made up special leg prostheses specially adapted for archery. 

Archery turned Sheetal’s life into a better. 

“There was a time when I felt incomplete and sought external validation. It took time to embrace my true self, but the moment I did, magic unfolded,” she wrote on her Instagram account.

“Archery changed my life. Before, I used to live in a small village. And then I started para archery. I saw that people with disabilities could also achieve something.”

The Indian teenager is now an ambassador of a jewellery brand, she travels, she visits the sites of her dreams, and she is a successful athlete, one of the youngest Paralympic medallists in archery.

“I hope many more kids with disabilities will take up archery,” she said.

“I want to send a message to parents of people with disabilities: please support your kids, they are capable of anything in their lives, and they can also win medals. I’m an example of that.”

Sheetal proved that she could defy all odds.

Now, she wishes to reach out and inspire more young people with impairment.