For Paralympic high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu, the nerves of competition and the larger challenges of pursuing the sport with a disability sometimes overwhelmed him during the early stages of his career. Furthermore, a passport issue denied him the chance to compete in the London Paralympic Games, complicating an already difficult journey. A little over a decade later, Mariyappan — the son of a single mother who worked odd jobs as a bricklayer and vegetable vendor — has earned three Paralympic medals — gold at the Rio Games, silver in Tokyo, and bronze in Paris.
“In Paris, my training was perfect. Even three days before my main event, I was clearing heights of 1.95m (the gold medal-winning jump in Paris was 1.
94m),” Mariyappan told Sportstar . “However, just days before my event, I came down with a fever. It rained for a few days in Paris.
The cold air and stiffness didn’t allow me to perform a proper free jump,” he added, expressing regret at missing out on gold yet again. There was a time when Mariyappan’s fights on the field were intertwined with his battles off it — like seeking sustenance as an athlete, financial stability, and eventually gaining recognition. Now, he has the luxury of focusing solely on pursuing excellence, a privilege that has claimed plenty of blood, sweat, and tears in return.
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