The world of sports is no stranger to athletes overcoming odds to achieve big on the world stage. Yet, among all these odds-defying narratives, the story of the teenaged Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi stands out. Sheetal Devi was born with Phocomelia, a rare medical condition resulting in the absence of arms, is the first and only female international para-archery champion without upper limbs.
Early Life and Education
Sheetal was born in Loidhar village in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir on January 10, 2007. Despite being born with a physical condition that posed inherent challenges, Sheetal Devi was athletically gifted and never let her limitations stop her from making the most of her childhood. As a kid, Sheetal possessed a strong will and enjoyed climbing trees as a pastime. The activity helped her build a strong upper body which proved to be a turning point later in her life.
The Indian Army played a pivotal role in propelling Sheetal Devi’s career in para archery. It was at a youth event orchestrated by the Indian Army in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir in 2021 that Sheetal’s innate athleticism and confidence were discovered by army coaches. However, the initial attempts from the coaches to make Sheetal Devi a force in para archery hit a stumbling block. The coaches initially planned to help her with prosthetics but it did not work out.
After further research, the coaches came to know about Matt Stutzman, an armless archer who used his legs to shoot a silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Sheetal’s rise in Archery
Sheetal soon joined former archer and coach Kuldeep Vedwan’s academy. Despite competing among the abled archers at the national competitions, Sheetal Devi’s talent was for all to see. Using her legs and feet akin to para archery legend Stutzman, Sheetal Devi embraced the unconventional shooting technique and competed at the Para Archery National Championship in Haryana in March-April 2022. Vedwan said the tournament was crucial as it helped Sheetal Devi get formal recognition as an Indian para archer.
Six months later, Sheetal Devi competed at the Junior National Championships among abled archers in Goa. While Devi did not win a medal, her performance proved to be a shot in the arm for her coach as well as Sheetal. While most might have to devote years on the training grounds before making their mark on the global stage, Sheetal Devi proved she was among the elite few who were gifted with exceptional skills.
In 2024, Sheetal won a silver medal at the Khelo India NTPC National Ranking archery meet, finishing behind able-bodied archer Ekta Rani, who is also a junior world champion. She also partnered with Sarita to win the women’s compound team gold medal at the Para Archery Ranking Series in Czechia.
Sheetal’s Medals and Achievements
- World Archery Para Championships 2023 silver medal – women’s individual compound open archery
- Asian Para Games 2023 gold medal – women’s individual compound open archery
- Asian Para Games 2023 gold medal – mixed doubles compound open archery
- Asian Para Games 2023 silver medal – women’s doubles compound open archery
- World No. 1 women’s compound para archer in the open category in 2023
- Khelo India Para Games 2023 gold medal – women’s individual compound open archery
- Arjuna Award 2023
- Best Youth Athlete of the Year 2023 by the Asian Paralympic Committee
- Best Women Para Archer of the Year 2023 by World Archer
- Bronze medal in the mixed team compound event at the 2024 Paralympics, becoming the youngest Indian Paralympian medalist.
