Preethi Pal scripted history after clinching bronze in the women’s 200m T35 in the ongoing 2024 Games as she became the first Indian woman athlete to win two medals in track & field in the Paralympics or Olympics.

Preethi clocked the personal best timing of 30.01 seconds to finish behind the Chinese duo of Xia Zhou and Guo Qianqian, who bagged gold and silver respectively with a timing of 28.15 seconds and 29.09 seconds.

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Earlier on Friday, the Indian sprinter won bronze in the women’s 100m -T35. The 23-year-old finished third in the final with a time of 14.21 seconds, which was also her personal best. Identical to the 200m T35 final result, China’s World Record-holder Zhou Xia won gold in 13.58 seconds while her compatriot Guo Qianqian took silver in 13.74 seconds.

Born to a farmer’s family in rural UP, Preethi faced significant physical challenges from the day she was born as her lower body had to be plastered for six days after birth. Weak legs and an irregular leg posture mean she was prone to various diseases.

Preethi underwent various traditional treatments to strengthen her legs but had to start wearing calipers at the age of five and wore them for eight years. Despite many doubting her survival, she proved to be a fighter, overcoming life-threatening conditions to demonstrate incredible strength and resilience.

She got interested in para-sports at the age of 17 after watching clips of the Paralympic Games on social media. Her life changed a few years after starting to practice athletics when she met her mentor, Paralympian Fathima Khatoon.

Encouraged by Fathima, Preeti took part in district, state, and national competitions and made her international appearance at the Asian Para Games last year.

To qualify for the Paris Paralympic Games, Preethi moved to New Delhi to train under coach Gajender Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the national capital. With help from her coach, she refined her running techniques, leading to significant improvements in her timing.

Preethi bagged her first international medal in the World Para Athletics Championship, where she claimed bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024.