Paralympians You Should Know About: With the continuous growth in the Paralympic movement, the story of the resilience and determination of para-athletes is inspiring people globally. Parathletes are not only igniting hope but are also completely redefining their disciplines with their extraordinary performances by fiercely contesting in championships like the Paralympic Games and the World Para Athletics Championships.
These are five Paralympians you should know about:
Brahim Guendouz
Sport: Para Canoe
Country: Algeria
Brahim started with the sport in 2017, and by 2023, he had quickly risen through the ranks and had already won a bronze medal at the World Championships. When Guendouz became the first African to win a gold medal in Para Canoe in the men’s kayak single KL3 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, he truly made history.
Sumit Antil
Sport: Javelin
Sumit Antils’ journey as a para-athlete has been truly inspiring. From having won a silver medal in the Paris Open Handisport in 2019 to ultimately winning a gold medal in the F64 Men’s javelin throw at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, he has shown an extraordinary level of skill.
Preeti Pal
Sport: Para Sprinting
Preeti Pal has shown consistent record-breaking performances and has two bronze medals to her name, which she won at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the women’s 100m and 200m T35 categories, making her the first Indian woman to have won two medals in track events at the Paralympic Games. She has also been given recognition for her excellence and has been awarded the Arjuna Award in 2024. Before this, in the year 2023, Preei had set a world record throw of 73.29 meters at the 2023 Asian Para Games.
Simran Sharma
Sport: Para Sprinting
Simran Sharma is a visually-impaired para-athlete from India. She won a gold medal in the 100m and a silver medal in the 200m at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. She is known for her rapid progression in the sport. Before this achievement, she won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics in the 200m para sprinting (T12 category for visual impairment) and was a world champion at the 2024 Kobe World Championships.
Deepthi Jeevanji
Sport: Women’s 400 meters T20 Category
The T20 category in Paralympics is reserved for athletes who have an intellectual impairment, and Deepthi Jeevanji made history when she finished the women’s 400-meter race in 55.82 seconds and became the first intellectually impaired para-athlete to have won a bronze Paralympic medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
