Polio is an extremely infectious disease that has been almost eradicated in India thanks to a great vaccination program run by the Government of India. However, failure to give the vaccination at the right time might cripple those who contract the disease. This is what happened to Malathi, who lost her lower limbs to the infection when she was just 8 months old. Her parents, from a poor, uneducated background, had failed to vaccinate her in time. Youngest of 3 siblings, Malathi was the burden that the family was not equipped to handle. She was sent to a Home for the Disabled since her family’s home was not equipped to deal with her special needs.
Malathi grew up yearning for the love of her family and the acceptance of society. But a fire kept burning in her to succeed and overcome her disability, which is what egged her on to finish her graduation and learn other employable skills like typewriting and shorthand. Even with all that, she interviewed with 65 firms before she was offered a job. Many employers rejected her simply because their offices did not have the facilities (like ramps or a wide door bathroom) for a disabled person. Poverty and limitations posed by her disability drove Malathi to the brink, at times. But she always bounced back with more vigour and it is her spirit that got her noticed by Ms Ambika who introduced her to Madhavi Latha – President of the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI).
Malathi joined the WBFI in 2015 and has played in several tournament since then. The game requires extraordinary upper body strength as the wheelchair has to be pushed along with the weight of their own body. The basketball also has to be dribbled in between and Malathi regularly does strength training exercises to be able to handle this. She also goes swimming every weekend to strengthen her back and joints. Competitive sports requires great dedication and more so for para-sports.
From someone who depended on others to move even within the house, Malathi has now travelled internationally to participate in games and training sessions for Wheelchair Basketball. She is a great source of inspiration for other people like her who battle physical disability. Her future plans include coaching other para-sportspeople.
