Watching Sheetal Devi at the archery range is to witness poetry in motion. She manoeuvres the bow with her legs until the string gets hooked onto the release aid. With a grace that defies conventional geometry of archery, she extends her right leg forward. The bow is clutched between her toes, steady as any hand. She takes aim. A slight lean of the shoulder and a little movement of the jaw, and she releases the arrow.
Guided by the feet, the arrows fly straight and hit the target board. Sheetal Devi, India's armless archer takes aim not just at gold medals, but at the notion of disability. Each shot is a statement.
Born without arms in a remote village in the contested lands of Kashmir, 17-year-old Sheetal is poised to become India's youngest Paralympic champion on Saturday.
Kishtwar to Paris
Known for dense forests, alpine meadows, forest wetlands and the mighty Mount Brammah, Kishtwar district is located in east Kashmir. Terrorism lurks in the shadows. About 24 kilometres from the district headquarters is a sparsely populated village, called Loidhar.
On January 10, 2017 a girl child without arms was born in this village. Sheetal Devi. It may seem like a Dickensian plot. But not for Sheetal.
From those early days, she climbed trees and gripped pencils with her toes while classmates stared.
2021. Enter the Indian Army in her village. Not as a military force, but as talent scouts. The recruiters saw past her missing limbs and identified the fire in her eyes that would soon set the archery world ablaze.
The journey wasn't smooth. Prosthetics failed. But under coach Kuldeep Vedwan's guidance, Sheetal's feet became deadly accurate. Toes replaced fingers. Determination substituted for limbs. They had a role model too. Matt Stutzman, the "Armless Archer" who claimed Paralympic silver in 2012.
She was ready in two years.
2023 became her year of conquest. Silver at the World Championships. Double gold at the Asian Para Games. World number one ranking. Records shattered with each release of the bowstring.
On Saturday, she aims for gold at the Paris Paralympics.
One for All, and All for One
The Indian Army saw potential, not problems. Her coaches reimagined the mechanics of archery. Fellow archer Romica Sharma was always there beside her, as a friend, not as a competitor.
Her parents, who may have suffered stigma now burst with pride. The village that might have laughed at her or shown pity, now celebrates her every triumph.
Sheetal is rewriting the story for an entire community. It was in November, 2023 that her village got a bus service to the district headquarters. The same month she ranked world number one.
Sheetal is not an underdog. She is not even the dark horse. She is the true story of human potential. Disability is a mere footnote in her life.
As Paris watches and India holds its breath, one thing is certain. Win or lose, Sheetal Devi has already scored a victory beyond medals. Can a girl without arms become the face of Indian sport? She's already answering that question with every shot.