The extraordinary story of Deepa Malik.
In 1999 when Deepa Malik walked into an operation theatre she knew that she will come out paralysed chest down. Also, her husband was fighting in the Kargil War and they had two daughters to look after, and one of them physically challenged. However, it did not deter her as she went on to emerge as a parathlete who will represent the country in Paralympics this year.
Having weathered the storm, 45-year-old Malik likes to be described as eccentric.
Malik, who is an Asian record holder (parathletes) in women's javelin throw and will represent India in the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro this year, says she's not that changed as a person since her operation in 1999, it's just that she's learnt more about life and the importance of sports.
"I had undergone three tumour surgeries and had about 200 stitches between my shoulder blades, when the doctors said that I had to have an operation that will leave me paralysed for the rest of my life. I prepared myself for the operation. After the procedure, sleeping on the hospital bed, all tubed up is when I decided that I'll transform my disability into an ability," she said on Thursday.
And she did just that. How?
"I was in the army hospital. When I looked around me, there were all war heroes. I thought that I have medical condition which has brought me here, but these guys have actually risked their life fighting for our nation. How could you not be inspired by them?"
But it wasn't just that. "It was the fight for survival," she says. "I was single-handedly looking after two children. I didn't know if my husband would even come back from the war. I wasn't given an option. I had to be a fighter," she says.
Along with athletics, an incident when she was in the hospital, made her fall in love with adventure sports as well.
"In 1999, there was a group of armymen who had just come back from the Raid de Himalaya, the world's highest rally raid. When I saw all of them with their fancy vehicles, for a moment I forgot about my disability. I asked one of them if I could join them next year. A senior officer, told me that we'll drive together perhaps in our next life. And that's what struck me hard. I didn't want to waste this life."
With the 10th edition of the rally coming up in 2009, Deepa decided that she was going to participate. She says it took as much as 19 months for me to only get the license to participate. That is apart from the 6-hour-a-day six month training schedule.
"When I completed it, I was the happiest person. I felt free."
For the record, she also finds her name in the Limca book of records for crossing a 1-km stretch of the Yamuna River against the current in 2008.
"You just have to be positive. Life is a festival that you need to celebrate every day," she says.
And it's that positivity that has rubbed on to her daughter Devika too.
Her oldest daughter, who is paralysed in the left side is studying disability sports psychology as her doctorate. In fact, she's the Asian youth leader in the Commonwealth sports for peace programme.
"At the end of the day, it's family and their support that matters. The way my husband and children are always there for me is the reason I can be what I am. Adventurer, bike enthusiast, swimmer, para athlete, whatever."
Know Deepa
Full name: Deepa Malik
Born: September 30, 1970
Honours: Gold medal in javelin and silver in shotput at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia Oceania Championships
*Arjuna Awardee (2012)
Silver medal in discus and shot put at 2011 World Championship
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