Meet Sheetal Devi, India's Armless Archer Aiming For Paralympic Gold

The Paralympic Games are all set to kick off this week in Paris. With the summer games over, Paris will now welcome nearly 4,400 athletes competing in 23 different disciplines ranging from wheelchair rugby to para-athletics. India’s Paralympic contingent of 84 members will compete across 12 sports. Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi is also part of the contingent. The 17-year-old from Kashmir District, who was born with a rare congenital disorder called phocomelia, is one of the few female archers to compete without arms.

Sheetal Devi, the Asian Para Games gold medalist, was the first female armless archer to win a medal at the Para World Championships. This achievement helped Sheetal Devi qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games. Born in a small village to a farming family, Devi had not seen a bow and arrow till she was 15. According to a BBC report, the turning point in Sheetal Devi's journey came in 2022 when she met Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Vedwan, her two national coaches. Soon after, she relocated to a training camp in Katra city. Her coaches were captivated by Sheetal Devi's determination.

Sheetal Devi told the BBC that her strength came from years of using her feet for most activities, including writing and climbing trees. In her low moments, Devi would take inspiration from American archer Matt Stutzman, who is famous for shooting with his feet using customised device. Devi's family could not afford a similar specialized device, so her coach, Vedwan, stepped in to design a bow. A gear was finally made, which includes an upper-body strap and a small instrument that Sheetal Devi holds in her mouth to help release the arrow.

Within just two years, Sheetal Devi went from learning to simply shoot an arrow at small distances to hitting six 10s in a row in the final of the women's individual compound event at the Asian Para Games in 2023. Sheetal Devi also secured a gold medal at the inaugural Khelo India Para Games 2023 in New Delhi. In January 2024, Sheetal Devi was conferred with the Arjuna Award, the country's second highest honour for sportspersons. World Archery has also named Sheetal Devi the Best Women's Para Archer of the Year for 2023.