Avni Lekhra

India's First Gold Medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Avani Lekhara is an Indian Paralympic rifle shooter and disability rights advocate. She is the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games and win multiple medals in a single edition of the Paralympics.Competing in the SH1 classification, Lekhara made history at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics by securing gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing event and bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions. She went on to break her own world record at the 2024 Paralympics, further solidifying her position as one of India’s most accomplished para-athletes.

After sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident in 2012, Lekhara took up shooting as part of her rehabilitation. Her success has not only earned her accolades such as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Padma Shri but has also positioned her as a prominent figure in disability advocacy. Through her achievements and public engagements, she has helped shift perceptions around disability and gender in Indian sports, promoting greater inclusivity in both policy and public attitudes.

Paralympic career

She is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. Lekhara won India's first gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. With a score of 249.6 points in the final event, she set a Paralympic record.

On 3 September 2021, she became the first Indian female Paralympian to win two medals in Paralympics history after claiming bronze in women's 50m air rifle standing event.

In Paralympics 2024 at Paris, she won a gold in women's 10m air rifle standing SH1. She became the first Indian women athlete to win three paralympic medals.