Know Your Heroes | Shridhar N Malagi – Conquering the world singlehandedly

08/14/2018

Sportscafe

“Life is pain! I wake up every morning in pain! Work is pain! You know how many times I just wanted to give up? How many times I've thought about ending it?” House’s famous rant on life had pretty much stunned his viewers but his avid followers could pretty much relate to it by then.

But, what could your possible explanation be if life hits you hard when you are just six-year-old with your heart brimming with innocence and life, with possibilities? Yes, Shridhar Nagappa Malagi was of that age when he met with his misfortune. Son of a father, who is a factory worker in Udyambag, and a mother, who was a domestic help, Shridhar had hope remaining next to zilch, when an auto rickshaw accident in 2006, while returning from school, led his left arm to get amputated. The auto had overturned and by the time he was taken to the doctor, it was too late.

“My accident happened around 9:30 pm and by the time we reached the hospital, it was close to 10. The hospital authorities mentioned that a sum of one lakh rupees will be required to go ahead with my operation as my hand required surgery. We could not afford that kind of money. My family members told them to start the operation and they'll try to gather the money by morning. The hospital refused to go ahead without the money being available. As a result, my hand was amputated,” recalls Shridhar.

The hospital refused to go ahead without the money being available. As a result, my hand was amputated

Shridhar recalling the dreadful incident

Life was unfair? Yes. Hopeless? That too. “Yeah, we didn't have the money so, there wasn't an option available,” says Shridhar casually today like, 12 years after that incident, he has come to terms with it and also seems to somehow understand the doctors’ perspective who had refused him the surgery then.

It would, however, be wrong to say that Shridhar had made it a point to change his life from the point onwards. Thankfully, he was just six-year-old and then wasn’t acquainted with the misery and ruthlessness of life until then, and like every other human being, he too moved on. His parents never let him feel any lesser than the others and that optimism was drawing him to his new chapter of life, which was going to be perhaps the brightest, after the darkest few years of his life.

Everyone must have cracks in their life; it is from there that the light gets in. In Shridhar’s case, it came in the form of swimming coach, Umesh Kalghatgi. Six years after the accident, Shridhar found himself sitting outside Rotary Swimming pool at Basveshwar circle, when Kalghatgi noticed him. And when he asked Shridhar if he would like to swim, he was half expecting a faint “Yes” from the other side. Shridhar did say yes, and it was a hesitant one back then, for the voice didn’t come from his mouth but from somewhere deep inside his heart.

The coach asked him to come with parents next day. “After that, he told them (his parents) that it'll be good for him to learn swimming. From June 2012, my friends, and myself went to learn swimming under his guidance,” recalls Shridhar.

However, there was no competition, medals, or aspirations in sight then. Coming from the suburb of Mazagaon, Shridhar didn’t even know that swimming was a competitive sport. “I had no idea at first that swimming came under the competitive sports. I was learning swimming for the sake of my interest. I liked to indulge in swimming. I had been learning for six months when I was registered to attend my first competition. I went to Chennai to compete for the first time in 2012. After that I played.”

While it is difficult to comprehend what the coach Kalghatgi had seen in a despondent Shridhar that day who was sitting outside the pool, one can be dead sure he was spot on with his decision to go and speak to him. Shridhar has since won a staggering 27 medals, mostly at the national level, which includes 20 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. With just one hand, Shridhar has also mastered butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle swimming.

Among his bigger achievements include winning a silver medal in 100m breaststroke at the Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai and bronze medals in 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley. In the 100m breaststroke SB8, Shridhar is currently ranked 35 with a score of 93400, while in 100m butterfly S8 category, he is ranked 16 with a score of 1999.

Those who have tried swimming at least once in their lives would have a clear idea how difficult it seems to do it with one arm. Shridhar knows he has to be at the top of his game to excel in it, hence, after his regular swimming training in JNMC pool in the morning, he goes to the Jairaj Gym in Tilakwadi, where he is found pumping weights effortlessly with one hand while others sweat to do with both. It is followed by yet another training session in the Rotary pool in the evening.

With the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in sight, an 18-year-old Shridhar will be representing India for the first time in the Asian Games that should serve as the proper platform to gauge his position amidst some of the best in his category. “I am very glad of being given such an opportunity. I have practiced well for this. This will be the first time I'm going for the Asian Games and I would like the experience to be a successful one.”

The GoSports Foundation joined Shirdhar last year and his life has bettered since then in terms of practice and functioning. “Gosports has benefitted me a lot. I have improved a lot after joining the foundation,” said Shridhar.

Every morning when Shridhar gets up, it is a constant reminder for him, of his misery, his challenges, and his desperate need for a validation from the outside world; perhaps that’s why he had even attempted to swim in the sea once. But, unlike Dr. Gregory House, Shridhar doesn’t hide his pain and insecurities behind scathing sarcasm and in demeaning others. Rather, he values the priceless companionship he has with his mates and enjoys life as it should be – to the fullest. He relishes every challenge thrown at him in or out of the pool with a smile and encourages everyone around him to keep fighting.

TNPL கிரிக்கெட் கேம் ஆடுங்க. தினசரி பரிசு வெல்லுங்க!

Play & Win Today! Click here here to download Nostra Pro & get ₹40 Joining Bonus!

Predict Matches & Win Cash!! Play NostraGamus on Android - predict ANY Sport & win upto ₹10 Lakhs! Click here to Download & Get ₹40 Cash Bonus!

Faster than picking 11 Players! Predict Cricket Matches in 2 Minutes & WIN CASH!

Play & Win Today! Click here here to download Nostra Pro & get ₹40 Joining Bonus!

Predict Matches & Win Cash!! Play NostraGamus on Android - predict ANY Sport & win upto ₹10 Lakhs! Click here to Download & Get ₹40 Cash Bonus!

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all