Armed with passion

Growing up in a small village (Loidhar in Kishtwar district) of Jammu and Kashmir, the only thing this little girl wanted was to wear lots of colourful bangles. She dreamed of furling her hands in the air, to see her beautiful bangles jingling. However, little did Sheetal Devi know that she’d never hear the precious clink of her own bangles!

From tragedy to triumph

The 17-year-old from Jammu district was born with a rare congenital medical condition called Phocomelia. Due to it, Devi has no arms. And, unfortunately, country’s top medics said prosthetics were not possible in her case. Sheetal was heartbroken, but her will to live a normal life made her adapt.

With the loving support of her family, she learnt to use her feet to perform everyday tasks. Eventually, with a lot of grit and perseverance, she learned to write, eat, climb trees and perform household chores using her feet. Sheetal even discovered the love of her life soon!

How it all began

It was at a youth event (local sports camp) held by the Indian Army in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, in 2021, that Sheetal’s innate athleticism and confidence were discovered by Army coaches. Her introduction to archery came in 2022 when she visited the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board sports complex in Katra, around 200 kilometers from her home. It was there that she met her coaches, including Kuldeep Vedwan, who were impressed with her grit. They soon started training her in professional archery.

“I already had been using my legs and feet to climb trees. Now, I began practicing with a bow and arrow, using my feet to shoot,” remembers an innocent Devi, who loves watching television serials.

Challenges galore

Yet, Sheetal’s decision to try a career in archery did not come without its doubts. “I felt this was impossible. My legs used to ache a lot, but, somehow, I did it. In my low moments, I took inspiration from American archer Matt Stutzman, who famously shoots with his feet using a customised device,” she recalls.

Devi’s family could not afford a similar machine, so her coach Kuldeep Vedwan took it upon himself to create a bow for her. He used locally sourced material and customised it as per her needs. The gear included an upper-body strap made from material used in bag belts and a small instrument, which Devi held in her mouth to help release the arrow.

The challenge was monumental, but the vision — to make the most of the strength in Devi’s legs and upper body — eventually prevailed. “Initially, I could not even lift the bow properly. But, after practising for a couple of months, it became easier,” smiles the resilient archer.

Bull’s eye

After 11 months of training, 16-year-old Sheetal became India’s first female archer without arms to compete internationally. In 2023, she participated in Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, and won two gold and one silver medals for India! Celebrated as a pioneering athlete and a symbol of hope for people with disabilities, Sheetal was awarded the Best Youth Athlete of the Year by Asian Paralympic Committee. She was later bestowed the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Indian Government in 2023. World Archery also named Sheetal Devi the Best Women’s Para Archer of the Year for 2023.

Poetry in motion

The ace archer left social media swooning with her grace at the just-concluded Paralympics in Paris. She went on to clinch a bronze medal. French footballer Jules Konde and football broadcaster Piers Morgan were awestruck, as they shared the video of our archer in action on their X handles.

So, what makes her truly unstoppable at this tender age? “Whenever I see the medals that I have won till now, I feel inspired to win more. I have just started,” she beams.

Devi is currently ranked first in the world in the compound open women’s category. “I believe that no one has any limitations, it’s just about wanting something enough and working as hard as you can,” says the odds-defying archer, adding, “If I can do it, anyone can.”