At 24, Preethi Pal achieved something no Indian woman had done before. At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, she won two bronze medals in track events. She finished third in the women’s 100-metre and 200-metre T35 races, becoming the first Indian woman to medal in track events at either the Paralympics or the Olympics.

The races took place at Stade de France. For Pal, it was her first Paralympics.

Ten Minutes That Changed Everything

Moments before the race, Pal waited in the cold room near the track. Her legs shook. The pressure felt heavy. She worried about making a false start.

She had ten minutes. Walk to the track. Take position. Hear the gun.

When she stepped out, the noise from the stands cut through the fear. Her focus narrowed to one sound. The starting gun.

Her coach’s words stayed with her. Do what you did in training. Nothing more.

She crossed the finish line in third place. The crowd shouted “India, India.” The medals confirmed what she already knew. She had run her race right.

A Village Beginning

Pal comes from Hashimpur village in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. She was born with coordination impairment. Walking was hard. Running looked impossible.

As a teenager, she noticed something important. She did not need perfect balance to sprint. Her toes were enough.

At 17, she came across videos of blade runners on social media. Meeting para athlete Fatima Khatoon strengthened her resolve. She decided to train as a sprinter.

Her family stood by her. They blocked out doubts from others. Money remained tight. Her father is a farmer. Diet options were limited. Most days, meals meant rotis. Juice was a rare treat.

Still, she trained.

Discipline Changes Everything

The turning point came when Pal met her current coach, Naik Gajendra Singh from the Indian Army’s Army Service Corps.

He agreed to train her on one condition. She could never skip training.

That meant leaving home and moving to New Delhi. Training shifted to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Her routine changed. Her diet changed. Her running form changed.

The work was strict. The progress followed.

Support from the Khelo India programme and later Olympic Gold Quest helped her access better facilities and competition exposure.

Competing Against the Clock

Pal’s medals came from clean execution. She runs in the T35 category, which includes athletes with coordination impairments such as hypertonia and ataxia.

Her coach stays clear about priorities. Medal colour matters less than timing.

The focus stays on improving personal bests. Each race must be better than the last.

Pal now trains with the same goal. Run faster. Stay consistent.

What Comes Next

After winning two bronze medals at the Paralympics and earlier medals at the World Championships, Pal is now preparing for the upcoming World Championship in New Delhi this September.

She wants more than medals.

Pal wants attention for para sports at home. She points out that while Olympic events draw large audiences, Paralympic events still struggle for viewership.

She believes stories can change that.

If young girls see para athletes on screen, more will step onto the track.

A Quiet Standard Bearer

Pal does not speak in slogans. She speaks from experience.

She wants support at the grassroots. She wants young para athletes to be seen early, not only after international success.

Her coach says even a few inspired athletes would be enough reward.

From a small village to Stade de France, Preethi Pal has already changed what is possible. Her next races aim to change timings. Her journey has already changed history.

FAQs

Q1. Who is Preethi Pal?
Preethi Pal is an Indian para athlete who competes in T35 sprint events.

Q2. What medals did Preethi Pal win at the Paralympics?
She won bronze medals in the women’s 100-metre and 200-metre T35 races at the 2024 Paralympics.

Q3. Why is Preethi Pal’s achievement historic?
She became the first Indian woman to win a track medal at the Paralympics or Olympics.

Q4. What is Preethi Pal preparing for next?
She is training for the World Championship scheduled to be held in New Delhi.