On Friday, Paralympic shooter Avani Lekhara made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals. She became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic Games gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at Tokyo 2020 and also maintained her title in Paris.
Avani became wheelchair-bound after a car accident left her paralysed. She is a shooter in the SH1 group, who are categorised with impaired movement in their arms, lower trunk, legs, or are missing limbs. As per Indian Express, her father Praveen Kumar Lekhara stated how Avani was also daigonised with gallbladder stones.
Check out Avani Lekhara winning post
He quoted, “Gallbladder stones had been troubling her since 2023. It also affected her training, as the recurring pain around the stomach and waist would mean that she could not spend the usual hours at the shooting range. Avani wanted to give her best at the Paris Paralympics.”
He also added,”So we decided to get the gall bladder removed in March this year. It took her some time to recover, and it was a tough phase. But at the end of the tough year, she has achieved a historic feat.”