POPxo Power Women List 2022: Avani Lekhara, The Paralympic Shooter Breaking Records & Winning Hearts

The ‘Golden’ Girl Who Scripted History

Avani Lekhara’s story is one of sheer courage and resilience. While most athletes spend their entire careers training for Olympic gold, Lekhara achieved this incredible feat at 19. But her journey to success has been paved with devastating roadblocks. Ten years ago, Lekhara fell asleep in the back of a car, and woke up to a completely different life. A car accident left the then 10-year-old paralysed from the waist down. However, instead of letting tragedy hold her down, she decided to shoot for the stars.  

Lekhara took up shooting as a hobby in 2015. The sport gave her purpose and passion, and she approached it with optimism. When she first started shooting, Lekhara was too weak to even hold a rifle. Her tenacity and resolve kept her going. Owing to Lekhara’s consistency and focus, she bagged medals the very year she took up shooting. When the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for her to train, Lekhara installed a digital target setup at her 3-BHK apartment. From practising shooting in her apartment to scoring gold for India, Lekhara has come a long way. In 2021, Lekhara was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and earlier this year, the Padma Shree for her outstanding contribution to the sport.

Power Move

In 2021, Lekhara achieved a record-breaking feat. She won India’s first-ever gold medal in the 10 mt air rifle standing event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. The nation beamed with pride but Lekhara didn’t stop there. A few days later, she clinched a bronze in the women’s 50 mt rifle 3 positions SH1 event. Today, the ace shooter is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. She is also the first Indian woman to win multiple medals in a single Paralympic Games. Lekhara’s journey is proof of what we can achieve when we refuse to give up on our dreams. Lekhara’s monumental achievements and unmatched spirit have inspired billions of people, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for India’s ‘golden girl’.

The POPxo Power Women List is an annual list that celebrates incredible Indian women from diverse domains who make power moves that have a real impact. With The POPxo Power Women List 2022, we celebrate 22 phenomenal women. To see the entire list, click here.