
Wife of an army officer, mother of 2 kids, Padma Shri, Arjuna Awardee and a Paralympic silver medallist, she is a source of inspiration for thousands. With this achievement, Deepa Malik has now become India’s first woman Paralympic athlete and 2nd paralympic athlete to receive this award. Before Deepa, Devendra Jhajhariya became India’s first Paralympic athlete receive ‘Khel Ratna’.
In 2016, Deepa won a silver medal at the Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro and another silver medal at IPC Paralympic games held at Christchurch, New Zealand. She is a multi-talented woman and we can tell you this because she is also the first person to receive a modified rally driver’s license. In 2013, she successfully completed her drive from Chennai to Delhi in a Renault Duster and thus also laid claim to another entry in the Limca Book of Records as longest ever recorded Pan India drive by a paraplegic woman.
17 years ago, Deepa lost her ability to walk due to the development of tumour in her spine. After the operation, she received 183 stitches and 31 operations. Many would give up after something like that but she's not the one to give up. She persevered and kept going against all odds and all of her hard work has led her to this day as she finally received India's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.


