THE STRUGGLES, GRIT & RIDE OF A PARALYMPIAN

In her autobiography Bring It On, Deepa Malik, the first Indian woman paralympian to win a medal, takes readers through the journey she has had since childhood—the struggles and their overcoming

- AKASH CHATTERJEE

HE story of Dawn Fraser has been novelised and adapted for a film. In 1974, journalist Moti Nandi wrote a Bengali novel Koni that was turned into a film ten years later as Kony, based on Fraser, an Australian swimmer who won four Olympic golds, battled poverty, social stigma, and still went on to become a champion. Kony had a particular catchphrase that later became many sports-loving Bengali's words for self-motivation: 'Fight Koni Fight'.

Although Koni is a fictional character, many Konis can be found in India's sports history and their list of struggles are longer than Koni's. Imagine a woman being paralysed twice in life, being in wheelchairs for decades, and yet managing to win a Silver Medal in a high-prestige event, and creating an impact to change many lives with her administrative decisions. It seems impossible, right? However, that's the story of Deepa Malik. Her 312-page autobiography Bring It On (HarperCollins), is a candid account of her experiences.

Double trouble