Preeti Pal created history by winning bronze medal in 200m T35 race at Paralympics.

Preeti Pal created history by winning bronze medal in 200m T35 race at Paralympics.

Preeti Pal created history by winning bronze medal in the women's 200m T35 event at the 2024 Games. She became the first Indian female athlete to win two medals in track and field at the Paralympics or Olympics. Preeti clocked a personal best of 30.01 seconds and finished behind the Chinese pair of Xia Zhou and Guo Qianqian, who won gold and silver with timings of 28.15 seconds and 29.09 seconds respectively. Earlier on Friday, the Indian sprinter won bronze medal in the women's 100m-T35 event. The 23-year-old finished third in the final with a time of 14.21 seconds, which was also her personal best. Similar to the 200m T35 final result, world record holder Zhou Xia of China won the gold medal in 13.58 seconds while her compatriot Guo Qianqian won the silver in 13.74 seconds.

Born in a farming family in rural UP, Preeti faced physical challenges from birth as her lower body was plastered for six days after birth. Weak legs and irregular foot posture meant she was prone to a number of ailments. Preeti underwent several traditional treatments to strengthen her legs, but at the age of five she had to start wearing calipers and wore them for eight years. Many doubted her survival, but she proved to be a warrior, showing incredible strength and resilience by overcoming life-threatening conditions.

She became interested in para-sports at the age of 17 after watching clips of the Paralympic Games on social media. A few years after she started practising athletics, her life changed when she met her mentor, Paralympian Fatima Khatun. Encouraged by Fatima, Preeti participated in district, state and national competitions and made her international appearance at the Asian Para Games last year.

To qualify for the Paris Paralympic Games, Preeti moved to New Delhi to train under coach Gajendra Singh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the national capital. With the help of her coach, she refined her running technique, which led to significant improvement in her timing. Preeti won her first international medal at the World Para Athletics Championships, where she won bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events in 2024.