UTTARAKHAND: Garima Joshi was once a runner with her sights set on the Olympics. A road accident on May 31, 2018, left her unable to use her legs, forcing her to give up the sport she had trained for years to pursue. But the young athlete from Ranikhet in Uttarakhand’s Almora district refused to let the injury end her sporting journey. She turned to para-athletics, took up the javelin throw, discus throw and shot put, and went on to win medals at national and international competitions.
Joshi’s interest in athletics began in childhood when watching her brother practise karate sparked her curiosity about sport. She eventually chose running and began training, hoping to build a career on the track. In 2013, she took part in her first international running competition in Ahmedabad. Running remained central to her ambitions until the accident. Standing by the roadside, she was struck by a vehicle, suffering a spinal cord injury. After her operation, doctors told her father that the chances of her walking again were “zero.”
“For a minute, I was silent. It felt as though my dream of competing at the Olympic level had been shattered,” she recalled.
The news was devastating, but Joshi soon began thinking about what she could still achieve. “I accepted the reality in a short time and started thinking about the future,” she said. “I did not want to give up. My family and friends gave me strength, and I began exploring the world of para-sports.”
The transition from running to para-athletics was difficult. Joshi had to adjust to a new physical reality, undergo rehabilitation and cope with the emotional impact of her injury. She also had to learn new techniques and build strength for throwing events, training from her wheelchair.
“The journey from being an athlete to becoming a para-athlete was not easy,” she said. “There were physical limitations, emotional challenges and rehabilitation. There were moments when continuing seemed difficult, but I chose not to give up.” Her resolve was tested again when her mother, Asha Joshi, died on March 4, 2019, less than a year after the accident.
“I had not even come to terms with the pain of my accident when I lost my mother,” Joshi said. “She was a great source of inspiration for me.”
Despite her grief, Joshi continued rebuilding her life through sport. She established herself as a para-athlete in the F55 category, competing in the discus throw, javelin throw and shot put. Her experience also gave her a deeper understanding of the challenges athletes with disabilities face.
“Para-athletes have to struggle a great deal,” she said. Some, she added, receive little support at home because their families worry about injuries or accidents. “I was fortunate that my family stood by me.”
