Avani Lekhara would have never taken up shooting if not for the persuasion of her parents two years after a catastrophic car mishap left her paralysed waist down and confined to a wheelchair at the age of 11.
As the 22-year-old, who is one of the most recognisable faces in Indian para-sport, embarks on a journey to win more medals for the county in rifle events at the Paris Paralympic Games, she thanked her family for giving meaning to her life at a time she was struggling to overcome the trauma.
Just six years after trying her hand at archery and then shooting at the Kendriya Vidyalaya No.3 in Jaipur during the summer vacations in 2015, Avani became the toast of the nation by winning India's first medals in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics in the SH1 category -- 10m air rifle gold and 50m rifle 3-positions bronze.
"Before the accident, I was not into any sport and after that too I was not at all thinking about joining any sport. But my parents always thought that I needed to do something other than study. I went back to school two years after the accident. I went to KV No. 3 Jaipur.
"They have these regional games, national games, so my parents also thought of enrolling me in some sport, and then I went there during my summer vacations in 2015 and I tried archery, I tried shooting.
"I liked shooting more because it was an indoor game, I thought 'ok, let's start'. Then I started competing, started liking it more...that's how it went after that," mentioned Lekhara.
Avani is a former world No.1 in 10m air rifle (SH1), who is also an assistant conservator of forest with the Rajasthan government.
For Lekhara, the Tokyo success brought with it lots of expectations but the vivacious shooter, who has a new set of rifles and feels more "mature" in her technique going into the Paris Games, said it only motivates her to do better.
"I think we have been in a very positive environment throughout. We are just focussing on the process rather than the outcome. There, obviously, will be expectations but those expectations only motivate me and inspire me more to give my best. I'm also more mature in my technique,” said Lekhara.
"And whatever it is, even if it is a negative or positive motivation, I try to keep it outside the (firing) lane. When I go to the lane, I am only focusing and concentrating on my process rather than thinking about other things."
Lekhara never underestimates any competition, for her a competition, be it the World Cup or the Paralympic Games, is just an extension of her training regimen, which has to be followed to the tee.
"I like to keep it (competitions) as similar to training as possible. If there is something which will happen in a match, I try it during training so that when I compete I don't feel any uncertainty. I just try to control the controllable.
"I try to keep my focus, my concentration... all the regimen that I follow, be it physical or mental training, all of it I try to keep it as similar as possible," said Avani.
Her preparation is supported by a quick recovery from a gallbladder surgery she underwent in March this year after the Para Shooting World Cup in Delhi.
"Yes, I was not well. I had surgery in March and after that, I was on a recovery break for one and a half months. At that time, I was not shooting but then after that, I came back, gave my selection trials and since then I've been in training," she added.
Avani's budding rivalry with upcoming 10m air rifle shooter Mona Agarwal saw the latter clinch gold at the World Cup in Delhi, and the ace shooter says it's a healthy competition. They'll both be gunning for gold in Paris as well.
"It feels nice that we now have more representation in my events from India. It feels nice to have someone there from India (competing alongside me)," she said.
Avani laughed away concerns about the warm Paris weather, saying for someone who has trained in the oppressive heat of Rajasthan, it's hardly a concern.
The Indian government installed several portable air-conditioners for its athletes during the recently concluded Olympic Games in the French capital.
'My coach an integral part of the journey'
Giving credit to personal coach Chandra Shekhar for her success, Avani says he's been a "major part" of her successful journey.
"He has been a major part of my journey, especially during COVID days, he used to come and train me. He helps me focus on my basics whenever I forget them.
"It's not like I do it purposely, but sometimes you are too much into shooting that you forget some things."
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