Sheetal Devi Biography: Para-archer, Early Life, Medals & Awards

Sheetal Devi Biography: There are always inspiring tales of athletes who strive to rise above personal adversities in the sports arena. But one such inspiring story that needs special mention is that of Sheetal Devi, a young para-archer from India. Sheetal, who was born with phocomelia (a condition that failed to develop her arms) has been a successful archer after overcoming all the odds placed against her. It is a story of triumph, endurance, and strength for women like her.

Sheetal Devi Biography:

Full Name:	Sheetal Devi
Date of Birth:	January 10, 2007
Place of Birth:	Loidhar village, Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Disability:	Phocomelia (rare congenital disorder; born without arms)
Sport:	Para Archery
Awards:	Arjuna Award 2023 Best Youth Athlete of the Year 2023 by Asian Paralympic Committee
Major Achievements:	Silver medal at 2023 World Archery Para Championships Gold medals in individual compound and mixed team events at 2023 Asian Para Games Silver medal in women’s doubles at 2023 Asian Para Games Bronze medal in the mixed team compound event at the 2024 Paralympics

Early Life:

Sheetal Devi was born on January 10, 2007, in Loidhar Village which is located in the Kishtwar district of Jammu Kashmir India. She was a very vulnerable child growing up with this condition as many things were an obstacle for her as a young girl. Phocomelia is a type of congenital limb deficiency that results in small, underdeveloped limbs, this disease causes Sheetal to be born without arms.

However, life was not all gloomy for Sheetal, she led a joyous childhood, despite these challenges. She was always very energetic, and she loved climbing trees, which helped her develop a strong upper body. This physical activity not only helped her remain fit, but also improved her confidence. Despite her condition and difficulties, Sheetal always had a good attitude towards life, and she never let her situation control and limit her.

Discovering Archery: A Turning Point

One of the pivotal events that have transformed her life in the year 2021 was when she attended a youth event organised by the Indian Army in Kishtwar. During this event, her natural born talents such as athletic prowess and self-assertiveness drew the interest of army coaches. They saw something in her and decided to help her pursue a career in para-archery.

At first, the coaches decided to give Sheetal artificial limbs in order to assist her in archery, however this approach did not work out quite as well as they imagined. Instead of giving up, they got inspired by the tale of Matt Stutzman, a bowman with no arms from America who shot arrows with his legs. He won a silver medal in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, hence proving that the will to succeed is more important than the body.

Embracing a Unique Technique:

With Stutzman’s influence, Sheetal Devi began practising with trained ex-archer and coach Kuldeep Vedwan.

She learned to shoot using her legs and feet, a technique that was unconventional but effective. This unique method allowed her to compete on an equal footing with able-bodied archers.

It was clear from the start that Sheetal was grappling with a new task out of her love for sports. She was regular in her training as well as in fine-tuning her skills. Her coaches noticed the flame within her and wanted her to participate in competitions in order to display her talent.

Rapid Rise in Archery: A Star is Born

In March-April 2022, Sheetal Devi participated in the Para Archery National Championship in Haryana state. This event was important as it was the first time she was officially acknowledged as an Indian para-archer. Competing against other talented archers, she showed that she could surely make it in this field.

Six months later, Sheetal participated in the Junior National Championships in Goa. Although she did not win a medal at this event, her performance was impressive and showed her potential. The experience boosted her confidence and motivated her to continue striving for excellence.

Support System: A Friend and Companion

During the entire experience, Sheetal was supported by her friend and archer, Romica Sharma. When Sheetal travels for events outside the country, Romica is with her and helps her with the daily routines and makes sure that Sheetal is at ease. She says that their relationship transcends friendship, and she even considers herself as a sister to Sheetal. Romica helps Sheetal in her practice sessions, looks after her arrows as well as her bags, and also helps her on the field as well as off it.

Rowling’s bond with her character Sheetal, her altruistic nature as exhibited, indicates how useful it is for a person to actually have a support system. Both have even provoked each other to take risks and show that friendship and cooperation can be and eventually lead to success.

Sheetal Devi’s Medals and Achievements:

• World Archery Para Championships 2023 silver medal – women’s individual compound open archery
• Asian Para Games 2023 gold medal – women’s individual compound open archery
• Asian Para Games 2023 gold medal – mixed doubles compound open archery
• Asian Para Games 2023 silver medal – women’s doubles compound open archery
• World No. 1 women’s compound para-archer in the open category in 2023
• Khelo India Para Games 2023 gold medal – women’s individual compound open archery
• Arjuna Award 2023
• Best Youth Athlete of the Year 2023 by the Asian Paralympic Committee
• Best Women Para Archer of the Year 2023 by World Archery