The unstoppable rise of Avani Lekhara
From a tragic accident in Jaipur to back-to-back Paralympic gold- Avani Lekhara story is all about determination, goal and achievements.
There are athletes who win medals. And then there are achievers who rewrite what is possible. Avani Lekhara born on 8 November 2001, in Jaipur Rajasthan. At just 23 she carries the weight of a nation pride and wears it highly, channeling it instead into the stillness of a rifle, a trigger squeezed with the precision of someone who has spent years learning to be unshakeable.
Her journey to the top of world para- shooting did not begin on a podium. It began on a wreckage of a car.
A tragic accident
In 2012, 11 years old Avani was travelling to school with her father in Jaipur. The car veered off the road, resulting into a horrific accident that left her with severe spinal cord injury and her lower body was permanently paralyzed. For most children that moment marked as end of ambitions. But for Avani it would eventually become a beginning of something extraordinary.
After the accident, she found herself in deep despair and struggled to come to terms with her new reality. However, her family, particularly, stood by her side and urged her to find new ways to channel her energy and ambitions. That encouragement would prove decisive.
She was introduced to shooting in 2015 after reading about Indian Shooting star Abhinav Bindra, whose story deeply motivated her. Within a few years of picking up a rifle, the girl who once sat on sidelines of her own life was competing on the world stage.
Tokyo 2020: history made
Competing in SH 1 classification, Avani made history at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic by securing gold in the women’s 10m Air Rifle standing event and bronze in the 50m Rifle 3 positions- becoming first Indian woman to win the gold medal in Paralympics games and first to win multiple medals in single edition of the Paralympic
The gold at the Tokyo was not a personal triumph. It was India’s first gold medal at those games and it arrived with a world record equaling score 249.6. A teenage from Jaipur, paralyzed from the waist down, had just framed her name in the country’s sporting history.
Later that year, the International Paralympics committee recognised her remarkable debut on global stage. Awarding her best female debut at the 2021 Paralympics sports awards. Meanwhile, India conferred upon her the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna – the country highest sporting honor followed by Padma Shri in 2022.
Paris 2024- defending the crown
If Tokyo was where Avani announced herself. Then Paris was where she concerned her legend. At the Chateauroux shooting centre, Lekhara finished as the top of the podium with a new Paralympic record score 249.7 in the final round, breaking her own record of 249.6 set at the Tokyo 2020.
The victory made her not only the most decorated female Para shooter in India’s history but also the first female para shooter to win two Paralympic gold medals. In doing so she joined an elite club – previously only the legendry javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia had managed to win multiple Paralympic gold for India.
She was delighted to share the podium with fellow Indian Mona Agarwal, who clinched the bronze medal in same event calling it “a big achievement for shooting para-sport in India.”
2025 refusing to rest
Champions find ways to keep raising the bar, and Avani has shown no signs of slowing down. At the 2025 world Para Shooting World Cup in AI Ain, UAE. She claimed three medals gold in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1, and silver medals in both R8-50M Rifle 3P and the R10 mixed team 10m Air Rifle SH1 event.
The gold itself was masterclass in nerve. Avani was in second place until the 23rd shot at the final. On the very last attempt she produced shot of 10.5 to overtake Sweden’s Anna Besnon and clinch the title with a score of 249.6. the kind of composure that demands- in a world level final, with everything on the line- speaks to the mental architecture Avani has built over years of relentless competition.
Beyond medal tally
Avani Lekhara’s significance extends well beyond the sport. Women make up a significant portion of India disabled population and often face compounded stigma tied to both gender and impairment. Avani visibility challenges common assumptions about disability and athletics, shifting focus from limitation to possibilities.
In a country where para- athletes have long operated in the shadow of more popular sports, Avani Lekhara has done something remarkable- she has made India pay attention. With the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics on the horizon, the golden girl from Jaipur is far from done writing her story.
