Who is Avani Lekhara? First Indian Woman to Win Two Gold Medals at Paralympics, Breaks Paralympic Record

Avani also known as Avani Lekhara is a rising Indian Paralympic rifle shooter who was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan on 8 November 2001. With her training and shooting success, she also made a historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, winning a gold medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 and a bronze medal in the 50m Rifle Three Positions.

Early life and background

When Avani was 11 years old, her life changed; she met with a car accident and sustained serious injuries, which left her completely paralyzed. But this life-changing turn of events did not bother her and with the support of her father, she took up sports. She started out as an archery enthusiast but always wanted to become a shooter after being inspired by Indian Olympic medalist Abhinav Bindra. She started her shooting career in 2015 and within a few years, she was able to prove her potential and talent in national and international shooting competitions.

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Shooting career

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Avani has won numerous accolades during his shooting career:

• 2015: Started training and won his first gold medal at the National Shooting Championships.
• 2017: Won silver at the Al Ain Shooting World Cup and bronze at the Bangkok WSPS World Cup.
• 2018: Achieved impressive results at the World Shooting Para-Sports World Cup, winning three gold medals.
• Tokyo 2020: Won gold in the 10m air rifle standing position with a score of 249.6, setting a Paralympic record and tying the world record. She also won bronze in the 50m rifle three positions, becoming the first Indian female Paralympian to win multiple medals at the same Paralympic Games.
• Paris 2024: She successfully defended her title in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1, winning her second gold medal with a new Paralympic record score of 249.7 points. This performance made her the second Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals after Devendra Jhajharia.

Education and personal life

Avani is currently pursuing a law degree from the University of Rajasthan. She completed her schooling from Central Public School No. 3, Jaipur with distinction. Apart from sports, she enjoys reading and travelling.

Awards & Recognition

Avani’s contributions to the world of sports have been widely recognized:

• 2021: Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour.
• 2022: Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards.
• Received several honors including GQ India magazine’s Young Indian of the Year and the Paralympic Best Newcomer Award.

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She set a new Paralympic record with a score of 249.7 and became the first Indian woman to win two individual gold medals at the Paralympics. With this achievement, Avani became the only Indian Paralympian to win multiple individual gold medals after Devendra Jajaharia.

For Avani, shooting has always been a learning process, and she focuses more on the process than the result, and this has not changed even when preparing for the Paralympics.

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion