World Para Athletics Grand Prix: Deepa Malik seals Asian top spot in discus throw

Deepa Malik is one of the most decorated athletes in India. Suffering a spinal tumour in 1999, which required three surgeries and 183 stitches between her shoulder blades, which left her paralysed from the waist down did not stop Deepa from chasing and achieving her dreams.

In 2016, she became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. Deepa, famously, won silver in the shot put F-53 event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics with a best throw of 4.61m sealing her prize.

The inspirational 47-year old para-athlete has sealed the top spot in the discus Asia Ranking 53 category and second place in the Asian Games combined category event 51/52/53 with a career-best throw of 8.01 meters on day two of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2018 in Dubai. This effort has helped her qualify for the 2018 Asian Para Games which will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 8-16.

According to TOI, Deepa Malik herself tweeted about her performance. 

Deepa is also a recipient of the Arjuna Award. She won the prestigious award in 2012 for her swimming achievements. She has swum across the Yamuna River against the current, covered a distance of over 3,000kms from Chennai to Delhi on a customised motorbike and scaled nine high altitude motorable passes in Ladakh in nine days.