Quick Info→
Hometown: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Age: 20 Years
Marital Status: Unmarried
Some Lesser Known Facts About Avani Lekhara
Avani Lekhara is an Indian rifle shooter who won a gold medal in 10m air rifle standing at Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. In 2021, she held the world’s 5th position at World Shooting Para Sports Rankings in Women’s 10m Air Rifle standing SH1. In 2018, she also participated in Asian Para Games.
GoSports Foundation also supports her in shooting sports through the Para Champions Programme.
Avani while showing her white card being given by GoSports Foundation
In 2012, she met with a car accident when she was 11 years old. This accident left her with complete paraplegia, a spinal cord injury that paralyses the lower limbs. Later, her father motivated her to join sports. Initially, she got trained in archery. However, she found her true passion in shooting and moved towards it.
In an interview, Avani Lekhara expressed her emotions related to her accident that left her paralysed below her waist in 2012. She said,
Prior to the accident, I had always participated in co-curricular activities in school, like dancing, but after that everything changed. I was very angry at my physical condition. It was causing severe mental agony. I had no desire to talk to anyone.”
In 2015, she started shooting at Jagatpura Sports Complex in Jaipur, India. She got inspiration from the former Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra.
Avani with Abhinav Bindra
Since 2015, she has won several medals in national and international shooting events.
Avani Lekhara while showing her medals
In 2016, the major breakthrough of her life came when she won a silver at the Al Ain Para Shooting World Cup.
In 2017, she was honoured with the Rising Star 2016 Award by the Cheif Minister of Rajasthan for her outstanding performance in shooting.
Avani while receiving an award from Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje in 2017
In 2017, she won a silver medal in Dubai Paralympic Championships.
Avani being welcomed in India in 2017 after winning a silver medal in Dubai Paralympics
Her sports philosophy is,
Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those cards you hold well.”
In 2019, the GoSports Foundation in India named her the Most Promising Paralympic Athlete.
In 2020, amid corona lockdown, Avani Lekhara demonstrated few exercise tips to the wheelchair persons on her social media account.
@AvaniLekhara International Ace @ShootingPara demonstrates few exercises @ home for Wheelchair Persons #IndiaFightsCoronavirus @narendramodi @Paralympics @asianparalympic @Jaiprakashnauti @KirenRijiju @RijijuOffice @CEO_Cairn @CairnOilandGas @HeroMotoCorp @DeepaAthlete @swamiiii pic.twitter.com/K8eLCEixkD
— Paralympic India 🇮🇳 #Cheer4India 🏅 #Praise4Para (@ParalympicIndia) April 6, 2020
On 30 August 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Avani Lekhara on Twitter on winning gold for India in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulating Tweet to Avani Lekhara
Avani Lekhara is a pet lover. She often posts pictures of her pet dog on her social media account.
Avani with her pet dog
Avani with her personal coach Suma Shirur.
A Tweet of her coach Suma Shirur