Deepa Malik: More than a Paralympic silver medalist

A para-athlete of supreme quality Deepa Malik is a multi-disciplinary medallist, an avid adventurer, and a multi-faceted leader.

The first Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympic Games, Malik, set a precedent that India's woman Paralympians too can shine on the world’s biggest stage.

A fighter through and through

Malik has always treaded challenging waters, as she had to fight through some of the difficult times since childhood. At just five, Malik was diagnosed with a spinal tumour and had to undergo intense physiotherapy along with three years of medical assistance to recover.

After her initial recovery, the spinal tumour reoccurred when she was 29, the age that many may consider the prime of life. She underwent three surgeries for the condition and was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Malik, however, refused to bog down. She showed temperament and confidence as she took up swimming and biking and developed a newfound interest in sports. She also swam across the river Yamuna which proved her mettle.

Beginning of her sporting journey

Malik’s incredible journey to fame started at 30. Inspired by Arun Sondhi, a powerlifter, Malik gradually ventured into swimming through hydrotherapy and exercises.

She quickly excelled in the sport. Impressed by her swimming prowess, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) invited her to participate in the FESPIC Games held in Kuala Lumpur in 2006 where Malik found instant success, winning a silver medal in the S5 category.

Malik did not stop with swimming, her milestones kept getting bigger and better leading her to venture into athletics.

In 2007, she competed in the javelin throw at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games in Taiwan where she finished fourth. This experience made her realise that with proper training and better coaching, she could excel in athletics as well.

In 2008, Malik swam across the river Yamuna in Allahabad against the current for 1km, despite doctors warning her that it could be life-threatening to swim in cold waters and could lead to cardiac arrest. Malik, unfazed by the challenge, successfully swam in the river.

Malik, however, shifted her focus from swimming to athletics because of the lack of infrastructure facilities for swimming. It made it difficult for her to pursue the sport vigorously.

Becoming a champion

Deciding to pursue athletics, Deepa Malik trained hard to excel in javelin throw, shot put, and discus throw. In 2008, she qualified for the Beijing Paralympics in the F53 category, but could not make a podium finish.

At the IWAS World Games in India in 2009, where she had previously finished fourth in the javelin throw in 2007 when the games were held in Taiwan, Malik won her first major world event medal, earning bronze.

Little did she know that nine years later, in Rio in 2016, she would make history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal, securing silver in the shot put.

However, this did not deter her from pursuing Javelin and Discus either as she went on to win bronze medals in both these disciplines at the 2018 Asian Para Games held in Jakarta.

Some of Malik’s Major Achievements at the World Stage

• CP Sports Event, Nottingham (2010) - 3 Gold medals in Shot Put, Discus, and Javelin
  
• Para Asian Games, China (2010) - Bronze medal in Javelin, first Indian woman to win a medal at Asian Games
  
• IPC World Athletics Championship, Christchurch (2011) – Silver Medal in Shot Put
  
• Open Athletics Championship, Malaysia, (2012) – Two Gold Medals (Javelin and discus), created a new Asian Record In Javelin in the F-53 category.
  
• Asian Para Games 2014, Incheon (2014) - Silver medal in Javelin in the F-53 category with a new Asian record
  
• 2nd China Open Athletics Championship (2014) - Gold medal in Shot Put in F53-55 category.
• Edmund Hillary PM's Fellowship (2019) - Conferred by Govt of New Zealand.

Stepping into adventure

Malik has an unmatchable passion and craze for adventure. She earned a license to contest at a modified rally. It made her the first physically challenged individual in the country to receive such a license from the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI).

Malik also took on the tougher roles of both navigator and driver in two of India’s most difficult and demanding car rallies — Raid-de-HIMALAYA in 2009 and the Desert Storm in 2010.

By opting for these extreme rallying adventures, Malik proved her mental fortitude and inspired other specially-abled individuals to participate in such events. Malik has undertaken many such rallies to promote this cause.

Champion for a cause

Malik immersed herself in activism for the growth and betterment of para-sports in India. She began writing reports, meeting bureaucrats and politicians and her passion was evident.

This dedication led to her appointment as a member of the planning commission from 2012 to 2017, as a working group member where she contributed some key policies about sports that could be heard by the government on short notice, keeping her close to the helm of affairs.

She suggested initiatives such as training programmes to enhance the skills of para-athletes in the country, which got approval from the government. It led to equal funding and equal awards for para-athletes.

Para-sports quickly became a mainstream sporting discipline, and the government soon recognized Malik’s ability to drive these changes and saw her as a catalyst for Indian para-sports. In 2020, she was appointed the President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).

During her tenure as the PCI president, India achieved remarkable success in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 and the Asian Para Games in 2023, with Indian para-athletes winning 19 and 111 overall medals respectively, setting new records for Indian para-sports.

Her commendable work was recognized not only in India but throughout South Asia, leading to her appointment as the sub-regional representative for South Asia by the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC).

Malik eyes 30 medals at Paris Paralympics

From no women competing from India at the 2012 London Paralympics to one woman winning in the 2016 Rio Paralympics to three women winning in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, India steadily transformed into a para-sports-friendly country.

As the Paris Paralympics are on the horizon, Malik expects a rich haul of 25 to 30 medals from India's Paralympic contingent. With a strong contingent of 84 para-athletes representing India, India is expected to surpass the 19 medals tally from the previous Paralympics.