Padma award winner Shital Mahajan-Rane: Pune woman who loves adventures

Mother of twin boys, Shital Mahajan-Rane (28) on Tuesday admitted that she was ecstatic after receiving a call from Rashtrapati Bhavan informing her about the Padma award. She, along with her parents, was shopping in Tulshibaug area when she got the call.

“I am really on cloud nine. I have got the award for my hard work. The credit goes to my parents and the Maharashtra government,” said Shital, who got the award for her contribution to ‘para jumping’.

Shital has settled down in Finland with her software engineer husband. She was the first Indian woman to venture wing suit jump from an aircraft at a height of 1,300 ft in Spain in September last year.

Her name figured in the Limca Book of Records in 2005 for her maiden parachute jump from North Pole without any practice.

“Our daughter has really made us proud. It is hard to express my happiness. We have all along encouraged her,” said her father Kamlakar Mahajan.

When asked why she chose para jumping as sport, Shital said, “I wanted to do something different. Many women players have performed well in other sports, but none in para jumping. My achievement will inspire other girls to take up the sport.”

She is planning to carry out para jumping from Mount Everest in October.