Who is Amisha Rawat? All you need to know about the Indian para-athlete competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympics
With the Paris 2024 Paralympics starting on August 28, Amisha Rawat is among those para-athletes who will be looking to make a statement with their performance in their Paralympic debut in France. The Paris 2024 Paralympics got underway on August 28 and will conclude on September 8.
Young para shot putter Rawat has been a rising star in India’s para-athletics circuit and has several state and national-level medals. Despite missing a part of her arm, she is a capable shot putter, competing in the F46 category which is reserved for people with disability in one or both arms.
However, she will look to announce her arrival at the biggest stage of all in the French capital by challenging for a podium finish in the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Amisha Rawat’s career in brief
Amisha Rawat was born in the Rudraprayag town in Uttarakhand. However, her life was complicated from the beginning as she was born missing the lower part of her left hand from below the elbow.
However, Rawat persevered through her disability as we as financial constraints to pursue a career in para sports. She trained in running and long jump, watching online tutorial videos for guidance. She was then noticed by her school physical education trainer Anil Kandwal.
Kandwal introduced Amisha Rawat to the Uttarakhand State Para Championship, where the latter clinched two gold medals in the 100m and 200m sprint events.
Despite assistance from the Uttarakhand Para Sports Association, Rawat suffered from a lack of professional coaching that would prevent her career from taking off the way it should have. However, that all changed when she was introduced to former Para Asian Games gold medalist Sandeep Chaudhary.
Amisha Rawat switched her discipline to para shot put based on Sandeep’s advice and moved to Delhi to pursue professional training, all the while starting studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She then started training under coach Rakesh Yadav at the JNU.
Rawat made her international debut in the 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Switzerland, winning a bronze medal in the javelin throw event. She then represented India in the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou but failed to win a medal.
She then bounced back with a silver medal win in the shot put event at the 2023 Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi.
Amisha Rawat will now face the toughest challenge of her young career as she will face off against the best para-athletes from around the world in her Paralympic debut in Paris.