Paris Paralympics: How Deepthi Jeevanji overcame jibes to run to glory

It’s commonplace to find that the journey of a para athlete is mostly about overcoming physical challenges, but what if one is ridiculed and shamed for the appearance they were born with? That’s precisely what Deepthi Jeevanji — who took a bronze in the women’s 400 m T20 final on Tuesday to give India a third track and field medal at the Paris Paralympics — had to endure throughout her growing years. 

From being called pichi (mental) and kothi (monkey) for being born with an unusually small head, along with asymmetrical lips and nose — not to speak of her intellectual disability — the 21-year-old from Kalleda in Andhra Pradesh's Warangal district has weathered it all. However, her rapid strides as a special talent in para athletics, which saw her break the world record in her event at the World Championship in Kobe earlier this year, must have changed all that.

Deepthi's bronze effort of 55.82 seconds last evening was inferior to her personal best of 55.07 in Kobe, but good enough to ensure a medal.  Her parents Jeevanji Yadhagiri and Jeevanji Dhanalaxmi, who had to struggle a lot to raise their girl as an athlete, were justifiably proud when she bagged a medal at what is set to be the best-ever Paralympics for India as it overhauled the Tokyo mark of 19 by the end of the day on Tuesday.

Speaking to Indian Express in May after their daughter’s exploits in Kobe, Dhanalaxmi said: “She was born during the solar eclipse and her head was very small at birth along with the lips and nose being a bit unusual. Every villager who saw her and some of our relatives would call Deepthi pichi (mental) and kothi (monkey) and tell us to send her to an orphanage. Today, seeing her become the world champion in a far-off country proves that she is indeed a special girl.

‘’When my husband’s father died, we had to sell the farm to make ends meet. My husband would earn Rs 100 or Rs 150 a day so there were days when I had to work to support our family, including Deepthi’s younger sister Amulya. Deepthi was always a calm child and spoke very little. But when the village kids would tease her, she would come home and cry. So I would make her sweet rice or, on some days, chicken and that's what made her happy,’’ she recalled.

Emotional moment

Father Yadhagiri was understandably emotional after the Paris medal. Speaking to local media, he said: ‘’Even though it’s a big day for all of us, I could not afford to miss work. That's my bread and butter and the whole day I was thinking about Deepthi winning a medal in Paris and would tell the driver Elfer about calling other friends and their families to celebrate Deepthi's medal.’’

It was at the age of 15 that Jeevanji was first spotted by Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach N. Ramesh during a state-level athletics meet. Recognising her potential, Ramesh took her under his wing, and Deepthi’s journey in para athletics began at the Asian Youth Championship in Hong Kong in 2019, where she won a bronze.

Despite her intellectual impairment which makes it difficult for her to express her feelings, Deepthi remained determined to excel in her sport. She participated in various events organised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) between 2019 and 2022. The hard work paid off when she won a gold in both the 100 and 200 m events at the Khelo India Youth Games 2020 in Guwahati.

Deepthi’s success continued at the National Junior and Youth Championships where she won multiple medals and earned the status of a Khelo India Athlete. The Asian record at the Asian Para Games 2023, followed by a world record of 55.07 at the Worlds was a defining moment for her.

The Paralympics bronze has simply cemented her place as one of the rising stars in the world of para athletics.