The life of Murlikant Petkar is truly inspiring, and silences every word that has ever been said against the capability of disabled people. This is a courageous story of an Indian soldier, a war veteran, and the first Paralympian gold winner or India who was not ready to accept his defeat but was trying hard to win the gold, no matter what it took.
Petkar was born in 1944 in Peth Islampur, Maharashtra, but when progressed through an important phase of his life during the war with Pakistan in 1965. A male serviceman, who served in Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), was badly injured, suffering from several gunshot wounds received on the battlefield. These injuries made him a quadriplegic, changed his entire life for the worse, and yet he overcame them.
This is in contrast to the assertion of the protagonist, Petkar, who shunned his disability identification. He found interests in swimming which was a flexibility he had never experienced before given the physicality of the sport. He showcased a strong passion to train and gain experience in rehabilitation centers as he fine-tuned his skills.
His talent was undeniable. Her competitive impulse was evident especially when she competed in different national and international competitions. He had his early glory at the Stoke Mandeville International Paraplegic Meets held in England, creating records through out. The chain of successes reached its climax with the achievement which was made at the 1972 Paralympic Games which were held in Heidelberg, Germany.
Competing in the global level, Petkar was not only an individual fighting for his success; he was representing the abled sports feeling of an entire nation that still wasn’t exposed to the brilliance of Paralympic games. He didn’t disappoint. In the event of 50m freestyle swimming, not only did Petkar bag the gold for himself, but also created a world record, covering the distance in a scaring 37. 33 seconds. This victory put him on the map of Indian sporting legends and ranked this accomplishment as one of the most memorable of his career.
What Petkar was able to accomplish was so much more than just bringing home the medal. Many people with disabilities were motivated by him in their struggle and it is clear that the majority of the time, the only limitation is in one’s mind. He not only represented himself as a great Paralympic athlete, but he also create a history that others could follow.
