Avani Lekhara born on 2001-11-08 in Jaipur, India.
Education : Law – University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, IND
Language Spoken : English, Hindi
Coach : JP Nautiyal [national]; Subhash Rana [national]
In March 2021 she began experiencing discomfort while shooting in the prone position during a World Cup event in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. As a result, she stopped shooting in May and June in order to focus on her physiotherapy. She returned to competition at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, where she claimed one gold medal and one bronze medal. (indianexpress.com, 09 Oct 2021)
She began shooting in 2015 at age 14 at Jagatpura Sports Complex in Jaipur, India. (sportstar.thehindu.com, 19 May 2023; Athlete, 20 Aug 2022; Arnav Jr. YouTube channel, 08 Mar 2017; indusind.com, 24 Feb 2017)
Reason: Her father encouraged her to take up the sport. She was also inspired by Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra’s book. “The sport happened to me quite by chance. I was in class nine, and it was our summer vacation. I tried out a number of sports, like archery and swimming. The [Jagatpura] shooting range is close to where I live in Jaipur, so it was the easiest option to pick. The first time I went to the range, I got 10-20 shots in the black circle. The coach there then suggested I try the sport full time. As I progressed from one tier of competition to the next, I started loving the sport. Shooting made me feel confident and happy.” (sportstar.thehindu.com, 19 May 2023; paralympic.org, 30 Aug 2021; thebridge.in, 26 Nov 2019; indusind.com, 01 Jan 2018, 24 Feb 2017)
Ambition: To win medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Athlete, 20 Aug 2022)
Milestones: She became the first female athlete representing India to win a gold medal in any sport at the Paralympic Games by claiming the women’s SH1 10m air rifle standing title at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. It was also India’s first medal in shooting at the Paralympic Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Aug 2022; paralympic.org, 22 Jul 2022)
Training: “I do a lot of core exercises because balancing is important in shooting. I do a lot of upper body strengthening exercises. Also, passive exercises and stretching for my legs to keep them okay. I stand using a walker. I also take the help of dumbbells. I concentrate more on cardio like wheelchair running and taking the wheelchair on slopes. I have a mental trainer, who helps me a lot. We have customised mental training exercises. We do yoga and pranayama.” (sportstar.thehindu.com, 19 May 2023, 27 Apr 2022)
Influence: Her parents, and her brother Arnav. (sportstar.thehindu.com, 19 May 2023; Athlete, 20 Aug 2022)
Philosophy: “Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those cards you hold well.” (Athlete, 20 Aug 2022)
Award: In 2022 she was presented with the Changemaker of the Year Award by BBC News India. (paralympic.org, 22 Jul 2022; Instagram profile, 29 Mar 2022)
In 2022 she received the Padma Shri Award in India. (Instagram profile, 21 Mar 2022)
She was named Female Para Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Sportstar Aces Awards in India. (sportstar.thehindu.com, 19 Mar 2022)
She was named Best Female Debut at the 2021 Paralympic Awards. (Paralympic Games Twitter profile, 16 Dec 2021)
In 2021 she received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in India. (President of India Twitter profile, 13 Nov 2021)
She was India’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (amarujala.com, 05 Sep 2021; hindustantimes.com, 04 Sep 2021)
In 2019 she was named Most Promising Paralympic Athlete by the GoSports Foundation in India. (GoSports Foundation Twitter profile, 14 Dec 2019)
General
EARLY DAYS
She returned to school in 2014 following a two-year break from her studies as a result of her accident. Securing victory one year later in a school competition against non-Para shooters allowed her to regain some confidence and inspired her to pursue the sport. “I made new friends, opened up, and got a lot of confidence. When I started shooting a year later [in 2015], life started looking up again. I used to think a lot about these things in the initial days. Shooting was hard. Being a wheelchair user and going out to shoot, I was low on confidence. But that school event was a game changer. It was then that my interest in shooting deepened, and I started taking it seriously.” (outlookindia.com, 04 Dec 2021; forbesindia.com, 25 Nov 2021; femina.in, 17 Nov 2021)
OCCUPATION
She has worked as an assistant conservator of forest [ACF] officer at the Rajasthan Forest Service in India. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 25 Oct 2023; Athlete, 20 Aug 2022)
| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralympic Games | ||||
| 1 | R2 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 | 2020 | Tokyo, JPN | 249.6 |
| 3 | R8 – 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 | 2020 | Tokyo, JPN | 445.9 |
| 27 | R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 | 2020 | Tokyo, JPN | 629.7 |
| 28 | R6 – 50m Rifle Prone SH1 | 2020 | Tokyo, JPN | 612.0 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 4 | Mixed R10 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 – Team | 2022 | Al Ain, UAE | 8 |
| 4 | R8 – 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 | 2019 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 429.3 |
| 5 | R8 – 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 | 2022 | Al Ain, UAE | 419.6 |
| 6 | R2 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 | 2022 | Al Ain, UAE | 163.8 |
| 9 | R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 | 2019 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 633.1 |
| 9 | Mixed R10 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 – Team | 2019 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 817.3 |
| 9 | R8 – 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 | 2018 | Cheongju, KOR | 1130 |
| 10 | R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 | 2018 | Cheongju, KOR | 631.7 |
| 13 | R2 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 | 2019 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 613.3 |
| 14 | R6 – 50m Rifle Prone SH1 | 2022 | Al Ain, UAE | 615.7 |
| 16 | R2 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 | 2018 | Cheongju, KOR | 608.3 |
| 19 | R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 | 2022 | Al Ain, UAE | 630.6 |
| 20 | R6 – 50m Rifle Prone SH1 | 2018 | Cheongju, KOR | 611.6 |
| 41 | R6 – 50m Rifle Prone SH1 | 2019 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 601.4 |
| Asian Para Games | ||||
| 1 | R2 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 | 2022 | Hangzhou, CHN | 249.6 |
| 4 | R3 – 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 | 2022 | Hangzhou, CHN | 208.1 |
| 4 | R8 – 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 | 2022 | Hangzhou, CHN | 428.2 |
| 8 | R6 – 50m Rifle Prone SH1 | 2022 | Hangzhou, CHN | 119.6 |
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