Preethi Pal

Some Lesser Known Facts About Preethi Pal

• She belongs to a farmer’s family in Uttar Pradesh.

• She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in her childhood.

• Her lower body had to be plastered on the 6th day after her birth. Her legs were weak and she had an irregular leg posture which made her prone to various diseases.

• Later, she went through several traditional treatments to make her legs strong.

• She started wearing calipers at age five and wore them for the next eight years.

• At the age of 17, she watched the Paralympic games on social media and was inspired to participate in the game.

• Later, she met Palympian Fatima Khatoon who motivated her to participate in district, state, and national competitions.

• She trained at Kailash Prakash Sports Stadium in Meerut for 7 years.

• In 2018, she participated in the 26th U.P. State Open Athletics Championships held at Kailash Prakash Sports Stadium in Meerut.

• In 2022, she qualified for the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and secured fourth place in both Women’s 100m and 200m sprint events.

• Thereafter, she trained under coach Gajendra Singh at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, which helped her improve her running techniques.

• In 2024, she became the first athlete from India to win a medal in the Women’s T35 100m event with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds at the Paralympic Games in Paris.