MYSURU: At the age of four, when most children were jumping around, Shilpa KS lost her left leg in a road accident. Her family could not afford treatment or even buy a wheelchair.More than three decades later, the little girl from Kanchugara Koppalu village in KR Nagar taluk completed her remarkable journey to the Commonwealth podium, winning the bronze medal in women’s shot put F57 at the Glasgow Olympics on Monday.Shilpa achieved a personal best of 7.26m. She initially finished fourth, but the Indian team successfully protested against Nigeria’s Eucharia Iyiazi’s score of 8.19m, which was declared valid. After review, the referee ruled that the throw was a foul and Shilpa was awarded the bronze medal.This medal caps off a remarkable story of resilience. Born into a farming family, Shilpa grew up unaware of the existence of disability sports. Curious looks and insensitive comments were part of daily life, but her parents made sure she completed her studies despite their limited financial resources.Sports didn’t enter her life until 2019. Shilpa was working as a Kannada teacher at the time and was introduced to disability sports by a bus-riding colleague. She initially excelled in sitting volleyball before Raghavendra SG, a former Indian para-volleyball player and coach, spotted her potential and convinced her to switch to track and field.This transformation requires tremendous sacrifice. Shilpa juggled teaching with grueling training, eventually quitting her job to pursue sports full-time. Under the guidance of coach SD Eeshan at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, she developed into one of the most promising para-throwers in India.She won silver and bronze medals at international competitions in Thailand, won a national shot put medal in Goa and won gold at the 2025 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi. However, financial challenges remain. Shilpa continues to train using a basic Jaipur foot rather than specialized sports prosthetics.An emotional Shilpa spoke to Times of India and thanked everyone who has supported her. “Years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice have finally paid off,” she said.
