#Disability is just a state of mind. Here are the achievers who’ve proved it right.

1. Physically Challenged Indians Who
Have Made Us Proud
Source: achhikhabre.com

2. Rajendra Singh Rahelu
Rajendra Singh Rahelu was only eight
months old, when he contracted polio
and since then he has not been able to
walk. He was motivated by his friend to
pursue a career in weight lifting. He
started by lifting a weight of 75 kgs, but
rigorous training and motivation made
him strong enough to lift a weight of
115 kgs within six months. He has
created history after winning a silver
medal in power lifting at the
Commonwealth Games 2014.

3. Girish Sharma
Girish Sharma lost a leg in a train
accident and that too when he was a
kid. But this great man became the
badminton champion. With even a
single leg, Girish Sharma effortlessly
plays the game and also covers the
entire court. Since childhood, he was
always indulged in outdoor activities,
without letting his disability come in the
way.

4. H Ramakrishnan
At the age of two, Ramakrishnan’s both
legs were affected by polio. He was
denied admission in the regular school.
But in spite of the odds, Ramakrishnan
served as a journalist for over 40-years
and is currently CEO of SS Music
television channel. He is also a
musician. To help children with
disabilities, he runs a charitable trust
called Krupa.

5. Dr. Satendra Singh
Satendra Singh, an acclaimed doctor
contracted Polio when he was just nine
months old. He is also a
prominent disability activist. He is the
man, whose efforts made ATMs
disabled-friendly by constructing ramps.

6. Sudha Chandran
This Indian actress and classical dancer met
with an accident when she was just 16. Later a
small wound in her ankle, that doctors had
missed, got infected and there was no
alternative left but to amputate her leg. She
overcame her disability by getting a prosthetic
‘Jaipur Foot’. But, even with that prosthetic
leg, Sudha became one of the most popular
and acclaimed classical dancers of India. She
has performed Bharatnatyam internationally.
She has also been a known figure in the Indian
television and film industry and has received
many awards for her amazing talent.

7. Ravindra Jain
Ravindra Jain, one of the most notable
music directors of the 1970s, was born
visually impaired. He started singing at a
very young age and later joined the
Indian music industry. Apart from
composing many super-hit’ songs for
Hindi movies, Jain also has many private
albums.

8. H. Boniface Prabhu
At the age of four, Prabhu became
quadriplegic for the rest of his life. But
disabilities could not change his goals of
life. He worked hard and his dedication
has made him a notable figure and a
leading quadriplegic wheelchair tennis
player. This Padma Shri award winner
won a medal at the 1998 World
Championships.

9. Sai Prasad Vishwanathan
Vishwanathan lost sensation in the
lower half of his body when he was a
kid. But, nothing could change the
strong determinations of this
enthusiastic man. He became India’s
first skydiver and has his name
registered in the Limca Book of Records
for being the first Indian with disabilities
to skydive from 14,000 feet. He has co-
founded Sahasra, an organization that
provides scholarships to potential
underprivileged students to
pursue higher studies.

10. Javed Abidi
Javed Abidi was diagnosed with spina
bifidia, a developmental congenital disorder
caused by the incomplete closing of the
embryonic neural tube. But that was not
operated on for eight years and caused
permanent nerve damage. Further injuries
made the situation worse and made him a
wheelchair-user when he turned 15. But he
continued his studies and even went abroad
to finish his education and pursue his
dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the
founder of the Disability Rights Group and
the director of the National Centre for
Promotion of Employment for Disabled
People in India.

11. Dr. Suresh Advani
Dr. Suresh Advani has been in the
wheelchair, when he contracted polio at the
age of eight. He faced many difficulties to
pursue his dreams due to his disability. But
he never gave up and became one of the
prominent oncologists. He is credited to
start Hematopoietic Stem Cell
Transplantation in India. He was honored
with Padma Shri in 2002 and the Padma
Bhushan in 2012, for his notable
contributions in the field of Oncology. He is
the first oncologist in India to have
successfully done a bone-marrow
transplant.

12. Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla
She got paralyzed completely at the tender
age of one, after a high fever. She was under
regular shock treatment for two years, that
brought strengths to her upper body back,
but below the waist her body remained weak.
But, Malathi decided to accept it and to live
life to the fullest. She chose sports as her
career. Holla started participating in various
games in college. She has taken part in
various international events including the
Para-Olympics. Holla won Gold in 200m, shot
put, discus and javelin throw at the 1989
World Masters’ Games in Denmark. She has
won over 300 medals, and the proud recipient
of the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri.