DEEPA MALIK, a silver medalist, Rio Paralympic 2016 shows you how “Life is a festival which you celebrate every day.”
Deepa Malik, 46 years, is an athlete and the first Indian woman who has won a medal in Paralympic Games and a Silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the shot put. As an adventure sportsperson, she is a part of the Himalayan Motorsports Association (H.M.A.) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (F.M.S.C.I.). She has undertaken an 8-day, 1700-km drive in sub-zero temperatures which included a climb to 18000 feet. It was – Raid De Himalaya. This journey covers many difficult paths including the remote Himalayas, Leh, Shimla and Jammu.
She has also been awarded the Arjuna award (2012) and the President Role Model award (2014). She has worked to formulate the 12th five-year plan (2012–2017) on Sports and Physical Education as nominated by the Planning Commission HRD Division, on behalf of the Sports Ministry as part of the working group.
We have already told you about her life journey before, The Extraordinary Story Of Deepa Malik, Silver Medalist, Rio Paralympics 2016. Nevertheless, here are a few things we need to learn from her and imbibe in our lives.
You Write Your Own Destiny
Deepa was bedridden at age 6; the doctors took one year to diagnose her condition. She had her first surgery at age 7 for a spinal tumour. Post that, next two years was all about aggressive rehabilitation, intensive physical activity and occupational therapy. As a vivacious and outdoorsy person, she found opportunity in her physical rehabilitation. It became her way to innovate, discover and drive her passion for sports.
She adapted to sports, showed a sense of seriousness and purpose and didn’t let her health be a barrier or impediment in any way. Her spinal tumour re-emerged and at the age of 29 and she was paralysed waist down. Deepa is on a lifelong tumour management treatment. But all this did not deter her from chasing her dreams and turning them into a reality.
Besides the medal in Paralympic Games and a Silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the shot put, her list of international and national awards is exemplary and extensive. In the last few years, they also include awards like PC Athletics World Championship, Doha 2015 | Diploma (5th Position) – (Shotput), IPC Oceania Asian Championship, Dubai March 2016 | 1 Gold (Jav), 1 Silver (Shotput), Incheon Asian Para Games 2014 – Silver medal in women’s 53–54 Javelin with a new Asian Record and IPC 2nd China Open Athletics Championship Beijing 10–17 April 2014– Shot put F53-55 Gold etc.
Deepa’s grit, tenacity, passion and intent remained unbeaten and she turned around her life. Where most people would give up and resign to a life of hopelessness and despair, she fought grave circumstances, distressing life conditions and exigent physical, emotional, mental, psychological factors.
Designing ways to fuel her passion in a constructive way, she ensured her own contentment and triumph.
Inspiration Can Come From The Mundane In Your Life
For Deepa, her parents have been her most important teachers, mentors and inspiration. They have moulded her to be a strong person. Even after suffering from severe disabilities, she has always been bold, confident and never gave up hope. She says, “Without them, I won’t be the Deepa Malik I am today.”
An early riser like her father, from him she has learnt to make the most of things and turn even a nightmare into an opportunity. As an army man, every time he got posted he would take up the first available accommodation, which most others would turn down, as it would be one the old dilapidated British bungalow. Most other officers avoided taking it up as it would be inhabitable. But in no time, he would get it painted, change the plumbing and renovate a ramshackle house into a stunning, expansive, vintage and beautiful home. This is how she discovers power and prospects in the most forbidden and negative circumstances.
Deepa’s mother hails from an orthodox, conservation and lower middle-class family of four sisters. Even then in her time, she was a part of the debate club, an NCC cadet who participated in the Republic Day parade and went on to become the rifle shooter for Maharaja Karni Singh, Bikaner’s rifle shooting team. Deepa believes that her mother is her role model – from her, she learnt how to thrive, grow and achieve her goals against all odds.
For her husband when she got paralysed waist down, it was never an issue. He never stops her from feeding her spirit, passions and yearnings. Before her marriage, her parents were always scared that rather than recuperating from surgeries she was busy playing sports and riding bikes. But her then future husband totally backed her decision to ride. She knew he would never come in her way of growth. She was wise enough to perceive that he was the right person as a life partner for her. Life partners create that environment, space and support for each other to soar higher.
Disability Is A State Of Mind
The biggest challenge for her in this journey has been to find wheelchair accessible places and parking. She battles with infrastructure. India lacks sensitization about disability. Trainers lack sensitizations, awareness and knowledge, even though they work with the athlete. They do not study, customize, and harmonize sports sciences to bring about the best solutions for the athlete who is differently abled.
India needs to treat Paralympics as main stream sports in our country. As Deepa says, “The health of the nation is known by how the senior citizens, women and physically challenged are doing in that country.”
She rightly believes that our country will truly become that ’emerging, smart and modern India’ when the infrastructure, policy, funding, sponsorship, training and opportunities for a physically challenged person becomes egalitarian and accessible.
Deepa had to open a restaurant and become a motivational speaker to raise funds for training. She exerts, “CSR needs to wake up and invest in the health of the physically challenged for our nation.”
An astounding success of India in Paralympics will result in altering the global image of the nation to a 180-degree turnaround to positive, where every citizen will get sensitized, more medals will be won for the nation and it will be the best way to keep a person with disability healthy and happy.
Life Is A Festival
She beautifully puts, “Life is a festival, which you celebrate every day.”
One cannot just wait on the fence, play the victim card, blame others or circumstances or look for excuses. It is imperative to walk forward and create your own way to achieve your purpose. Even when things, opportunities, support and finances were not available, Deepa found ways to go ahead and did not let any challenge hold her back.
With self-belief, confidence, faith and the capacity for hard work, she created the infrastructure and “blood group” of people who stand out for each other in adventure sports. She used social media, technology and core groups of bikers and rally sportsperson to fight through her way in the country.
As reported, “Deepa Malik was the first person ever to receive a license for invalid (modified) rally vehicle, a case she consistently pursued for 19 months in Maharashtra. She is also the first physically challenged individual in the country to receive an official rally license from the Federation Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI) and become a navigator and driver in the toughest car rallies of the country like Raid-de-HIMALAYA 2009 and Desert Storm 2010.”
Tehelka reported, “Malik set a Limca Book record for riding the first special bike for paraplegics in 2009. When she received a special license to drive a hand-controlled car, she undertook a record drive of 3,000 km from Delhi to Leh and back, through high altitude passes.
After undergoing hydrotherapy at the Spinal Injuries Centre, she became the first disabled person to swim for a kilometre in the Yamuna against the current.”
And so, if you’re ever feeling down or demotivated, think of Deepa Malik who literally did not let anything come in between her and her dreams.
