I didn't choose archery; it chose me, says, Sheetal Devi

In an exclusive interview with us, 17-year-old Sheetal Devi, India’s armless archer and the youngest Paralympic medallist in history, shared her inspiring journey. She was recently in Chennai for a school event, where she impressed students with her archery skills.

Born with a rare condition called phocomelia, which led to her underdeveloped arms, Sheetal began training in archery in 2021 (using her legs to shoot) and in a short span, she became a top archer. Sheetal spoke to us, she spoke about winning bronze in the women’s individual compound archery event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and about the challenges of being seen differently by others. Her story is one of resilience, determination, and scripting a new future...

‘I WAS INSPIRED TO TAKE UP ARCHERY BY WATCHING OTHERS’I feel truly blessed and happy because archery has completely changed my life. Before, no one knew who I was, but now, people from all over India recognise me. I was inspired to take up the sport by watching others. Now, people are inspired by me.

‘I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD COME THIS FAR AND ACHIEVE ALL OF THIS’I started training when I was 15 years old, when I went to Bengaluru for training. There, I met an archer, Preethi didi, who taught me many things about the sport. At first, I didn’t know much about archery, but with time and practice, I started to learn and understand that I didn’t choose archery; it chose me. After that, I trained at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Jammu. I never thought I would come this far and achieve all of this. My coaches, Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Wadhwan, and my family have been with me every step of the way. They are my backbone.

‘PM MODI TOLD ME, ‘NO ONE COMES BACK AS A FAILURE’’After winning my medal, I met the Prime Minister with all the other medallists. It was the happiest moment after winning the medal for me. He motivated me and also gave me advice. He said, “After the game, some come back with victory, and some come back with lessons, but no one comes back as a failure.” I always feel inspired by his words.

‘MY ADVICE TO GIRLS: DON’T ACCEPT FAILURE TOO EASILY’The only advice that I would give girls is to never be afraid in any situation. Don’t accept failure too easily — always put in a lot of effort. If we accept failure early, we won’t be able to achieve much in life. Success isn’t only about winning medals. Even if we don’t win a medal, we would have still learnt something valuable from the experience.

‘I WANT TO MAKE MY COUNTRY PROUD AND BRING PRIDE TO OUR PEOPLE’Earlier, I dreamed of becoming a teacher. But now, I want to continue as an archer and win many medals for my country. I want to make my country proud and bring pride to my people.

Sheetal’s mantra for success...The biggest lesson I’ve learnt in life is to act instead of just thinking about something. If we keep thinking, we won’t be able to do anything and will spend our whole life just thinking. If you want to succeed in life, start doing what you need to do today.