New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) Thulasimathi Murugesan was once reduced to tears as some of her schoolmates taunted her with the calls of 'alien' -- an unsympathetic reference to her birth deformity and dark complexion. But those days of tribulations are behind her now.

The 22-year-old stands in front of the world as an Arjuna Awardee, a reward came her way after winning a silver medal in the Paris Paralympics.

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Thulasimathi's story is of relentless perseverance, fuelled by the unwavering support of her father who refused to let societal scorn dictate his daughter's destiny.

D. Murugesan, a daily wage labourer with an unquenchable love for sports, did not let his circumstances scuttle him from encouraging his daughters --Thulasimathi and Kiruttigha -- from pursuing a career in sports.

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"He never let us see his struggles. He didn't want us to know how hard he worked or how much he sacrificed to make our dreams come true. That's why every medal, every award I win, belongs to him," Thulasimathi told PTI.

Murugesan's belief in his daughters was steadfast, even as neighbours scoffed at his ambitions.

“Why take them to the ground? They're just girls—they'll get married and leave one day,” they would sneer. Yet, Murugesan persisted, taking coaching courses to train his daughters personally.

The journey began with experimentation. Hockey, tennis, football, volleyball—no sport was left untried. But it was badminton, the one they found the most challenging, that Murugesan chose as their calling.

"When we said it was hard, my father declared, 'This will be your profession.' That decision changed our lives," Thulasimathi said.

Battling Against Odds

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Despite the family's financial constraints, the Murugesans found ways to keep the dream burning bright.

Street-level tournaments with cash prizes became the stepping stone. Every rupee earned went towards buying better equipment -- shoes, rackets, shuttlecocks etc.

“I still remember asking my father why we couldn't have branded shoes like others. Our shoes cost Rs 200, and the tournament T-shirts were the only branded items we had," the girl from Kancheepuram shared.

Talking about her childhood, Thulasimathi said: "During my first grade, I still remember, I went through many painful experiences where my classmates would bully me because of my disability. They would call me "alien" because of my hand, and they would tease me about my colour, my background—everything.

"I once participated in a small district tournament and came back with a small cup. At that time, some of my classmates came to talk to me. At that moment, I decided that I should achieve something big in my life."

Her disability, a result of muscular dystrophy, had already limited her left hand's movement.

But an accident in 2022 rendered it completely paralyzed. While driving a scooter with one hand, she lost control and suffered a severe injury, leading to a radial excision. The family was devastated.

“My parents cried for days. They couldn't believe what had happened to me,” she recalled.

Yet, Thulasimathi rebounded. After recovering, she traveled to 15 countries, amassing 16 gold, 11 silver, and 7 bronze medals, including a remarkable haul at the Asian Para Games.

"I dedicated the medals to my father at Chennai airport. I kneeled down and offered it to him—it was the most memorable moment for me."

The Paris Paralympics and the Arjuna Award

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Her silver medal performance at the Paris Paralympics in 2024 was a career-defining moment. Thulasimathi was in her veterinary medicine class in Namakkal when the Arjuna Award was announced.

"My classes usually end at 5 p.m, but I think the announcement was made around 3 p.m. I was in class, and I didn't know about it. After my classes ended, I checked my phone and found it was flooded with congratulatory messages. I also received many calls from my friends," she said.

"It was such an emotional moment for me. I felt so overjoyed. It made me believe that this year (2025) is definitely going to be a happy one. It was a great way to start the year with such wonderful news."

The award has only strengthened her resolve to touch greater heights.

"My plan for 2025 is to start from the scratch, as if I haven't won anything or achieved anything so far. I want to begin fresh, with a clean slate.

"One thing I'll definitely focus on is training harder than I did in 2024. I'm going to work on correcting the mistakes I made last year and push myself even further.

"Of course, my larger goal is to prepare for the Los Angeles Paralympics. That's where I'm aiming to be, and I'll give everything to get there," she signed off. 7/21/2024

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)