CHENNAI: It seems life has given her a second chance and she has grabbed it firmly. She has shown that there is no age to pursue a dream in sport. Until her second marriage, she was lost enduring stints of domestic abuse with her first husband before leaving the house with her two children. Sharmila Dhankar, a F57 shot-putter, hails from a small village Chautrali in Haryana and was born to a small-time farmer while her mother was visually impaired. She struggled with her life since she was only two as she was afflicted by polio. During the T57 discus throw she finished on top and gave India’s first gold medal in para-athletics and second overall in this edition, with a best throw of 9.81m.
The world was not all glittering for Sharmila. Each step was full of struggles. Just after the second marriage, with her husband egging her on, Sharmila turned her attention to para-athletics at the age of 34. She participated in her first nationals in 2021 and won gold. She was spotted by para-athletics coaches and started to train earnestly. Sport has given her life a new meaning. A relative introduced her to para-sports. She started with shot put before taking up discus throw.
Sharmila had narrated her hardship saying how difficult it was in her first marriage when she was physically abused for hours before thrown out of the house in the middle of the night. “I never went back,” she had said. Her quest for a better life took her to the stadium.
Her coach Satyanarayana narrated her story as well and said she was not just physically but also strong mentally. “She started her career late and now at 39, she is doing exceptionally well,” he told this daily from Glasgow. “She has suffered a lot and is hungry to do well after missing out on a medal in the last Games in Birmingham,” said Satyanarayana, adding the athletes had a 45-day training camp in Bengaluru before the Games.
Getting into sport has done a world of good for her as well. Besides making her independent and self-sustaining, the Birmingham stint helped her move out of Haryana roadways. “She is now working in another department and that has helped her focus on her sport,” Satyanarayana said.