Abandoned at the age of 5, this Punjabi girl has won four medals at Special Olympics
There is nothing like stories that inspire. And this one will totally melt your heart.
Meet Shalu, a 23-year-old orphan who has a keen interest in power-lifting. She recently represented India at Special Olympics. The highlight of the story is that she even won four silver medals at the Special Olympics 2019, held in Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 21.
Athletes with special abilities participate in Special Olympics which takes place every two years. This year, Shalu got the opportunity to represent India. However, it wasn’t as easy as it looks from afar.
Her story would make even the strongest of hearts emotional. Shalu was five when she was abandoned by her family. On the morning of 19 February 2000, Padmini Shrivastava, the Principal of All-India Pingalwara Charitable Society, found her outside the building.
Cold and scared, Shalu didn’t understand why her parents left her. This developed a wave of anger inside her. It took a while for the members of the Society to understand that Shalu suffered from speech impairment and had a learning disorder. This only fueled her anger.
Padmini further adds, “It took us more than a month to understand her problem. She has a speech impairment and also a learning disorder. Since then, I have become her life and she has become mine. We are inseparable.”
She also told a source that initially Shalu ill-treated people but with time, she started spending time with others and became interested in other activities.
It was during this time when her coach, Raju Rajendra who convinced her to try power-lifting. However, Shalu was more interested in football. She gave powerlifting a try but soon left.
After 8 months, one day she suddenly started lifting weights. Rajendra later found out that she was angry at someone and channeled the same towards lifting weights.
“She came to the gym and straightaway started lifting the weights. Later in the evening, I got to know that she was fouled by someone that made her very angry. After that incident, football was dead for her,” Rajendra explains.
Raju himself won a Gold medal at the Austria Games in 2017 in Floor Hockey.
It turned out to be a boon for her since Shalu started representing her nation in weightlifting at various national and international events.
Before she left for the Special Olympics in March, she was determined and excited to bring a medal to India. Even though she has a speech impairment, her words of determination will make you realize that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
She said, “Shalu, India, Gold, Ma (she refers Padmini her mother).”
She came back to India with not just one but four silver medals.
Still looking for an excuse about why your dreams are a far-fetched reality? Think about her.
Shalu has been practicing for 9 years now. An opportunity to represent India internationally only made her work harder for her dreams.
And the result was worth it!