Priya Kumari – Enigmatic Horizon Staff (Sub Editor)
R. Subhasree, a 16-year-old sprinter from Villapuram, has conquered a multitude of speech and hearing challenges along the way. Despite the odds, she has made a mark in various national sports events and competitions. The All India Sports Council of the Deaf held the 25th National Deaf Championship and the 8th National Deaf Junior Sports Championship in Madhya Pradesh from March 15th to March 19th. She won gold in the 100-meter race and the 4×100-meter relay. She secured first place in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and long jump events in the under-16 category at the state-level and practices every day on the municipal ground for two hours. This little girl is an inspiration to the physically challenged generation that obstacles are just a test of how passionate you are about achieving your goal. Even though she doesn’t know sign language, she uses generic gestures to communicate and convey her thoughts. Sometimes, she writes what she wants to say on a piece of paper so that it can be understood more clearly. She has overcome all obstacles and is now poised to prepare for a huge sporting event like the Paralympics. Subhasree’s parents have played a major role in her success, despite her being born differently.
Off the field, she is innately good at reading and writing. She enjoys studying mathematics and science. One of the greatest achievements of her life is that today people recognize her as a sports champion and not for her disability.
Currently, various organizations in India identify people with disabilities and provide training in all sectors such as, education, employment, sports, cultural activities, etc. There are many such examples in India of people with physical disabilities who have succeeded in winning medals in major events, such as Varun Bhati, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Deepa Malik, Major DP Singh, Girish Sharma, Sharad Kumar, Virender Singh, etc. Several national and international organizations have taken significant initiatives to bring them to the forefront of society. They are equally talented or more talented than some normal children. Therefore, families in which such physically challenged children are born should be considered lucky, rather than burdensome. Parents of children with physical disabilities should take advantage of the many opportunities that are out there for their kids. Empowering them will enhance their future and also help them become financially independent and not suffer later in this wicked world.
R. Subhasree has broken the stigma for the next generation by proving that, despite being born with multiple disabilities, she has overcome her obstacles and completed a race in just a few seconds. For her, this is possible only because of her own will and her parents’ motivation and belief in her. If you know any person like R. Subhasree who is capable in a different way despite showing compassion for them, their parents should be shown ways to put them at the forefront of society. Various children are still suffering at home due to a lack of parental knowledge that they need to be dealt with differently.
