Blind Indian athlete says, ‘I believe in my guide runner more than myself’

“When I was growing up, everyone in my village used to say: ‘He is blind, he is a waste’.” Now, at the age of 24, he is one of India’s top middle distance para athletes. “It is very proud of me,” she says.

Rakshitha was born in a remote village in southern India and lost both his parents by the age of 10. She was raised by her grandmother who is listening and speech is disturbed.

“We are both disabled, so my grandmother understood me,” she says.

When Rakshitha was about 13 years old, the sports teacher in his school put her aside and told her that she had the ability to be a great athlete.

“I was surprised: ‘How? I’m blind, so how can I run on a track that I can’t see?” “She remembers.

His teacher explained that visually impaired runners may be a guide, who walks with them. Athletes are incorporated by a tether – a small strap with a loop on both loops for each of them.

For some time, other students worked as a guide runner for Rakshitha. Then in 2016, when she was 15 years old, she competed in the National Games, where a man named Rahul Balakrishna saw her.

A medium -range runner, Rahul himself competed himself in 1500 meters. He was introduced to para athletics by a coach at India’s Paralympic Committee (PCI) a few years ago, recovering from an injury a few years ago.

There was a shortage of guides and coaches and Rahul decided to take both roles. The government pays them salaries for the coaching side of their work, but this guide does not pay the runners.

However, if a blindly impaired runner wins an international competition, his guide also gets a medal – some Rahul did not achieve in his own career. “I felt proud that I could do this for myself and my country,” they say.

He spent his time and money to support Rakshitha, helping to go to Bangalore in 2018, so that he could reach better training facilities.

When they are running “these are small things that matter”, Rahul says. “When they are getting closer to a curve, the guide has to athlete athlete or when a competitive is overtaking, he will have to tell the athlete so that they can make a little more effort.”

Competition rules means that they cannot hold hands – they may only be connected by tithitors, and guide -raner is not allowed to push, stretch or propel the visually impaired athlete.

Over time, the pair has created a strong bond and now “I believe that I consider my guide runner more than myself”, Rakshitha says.

He won gold medals at the 2018 and 2023 Asian Games, returning to Rakshita’s village with a great welcoming. She smiles because she explains how people who taunted her, organized a procession for her, lit the flag and waving.

Rakshitha became the first blind Indian woman to qualify for 1500 meters in Paralympics and competed with Rahul in Paris in 2024.

He missed a medal in France, but to qualify for the only other blind female athlete Paris of India, Sprinter Simran Sharma, made in the podium, brought the house bronze.

Simran is partially seen and when she started running, she ran alone.

But in 2021, when Simran competed in Tokyo Paralympics, she got out of her lane and realized that she would need a guide if she wanted to run.

But the search proved challenging. “It can’t be any athlete. You need someone whose technique matches you and what you run as fast as you say.

Simran finally saw a young athlete named Abhay Kumar, who was training at the same place as him. The 18 -year -old was among the competitions and had an opportunity for him to gain experience in international programs to guide Simran.

“He sent me videos and after watching them I thought: ‘I am a sharp learner, it’s easy to be”, “he says. “But when I ran for the first time, it became very difficult.” Every movement has to be synchronized.

Simran and Abhay did not have time to practice together before their first international competition – 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Japan – only a few weeks after meeting.

His first race ended in 100 meters, disaster.

Simran says, “None of us knew the rules properly.” Abhay “thought that he had to stop to cross the line first, so he stopped completely”. They were disqualified as they should have gone and crossed the line just behind it.

But by the time they reached the 200 meter race, they knew what they were doing and hit gold. Simran became the world champion in the T12 category.

Riding on that high, he went to Paralympics in Paris. She finished fourth in 100 meters, but won bronze in the 200 meter race and Simran became the first Indian woman with a paralympic medal winning scene.

But Simran is worried about how long Abhay will remain as his guide. His career is also to think.

Although guide runners get a medal when a pair wins, India’s Paralympic Committee (PCI) says that this salary cannot support the guide with cash prizes or cannot offer a long -term career path .

“We can all support short -term needs like our food, housing, transport and training facilities,” says Shri Satyanarayana, coach of PCI’s National Athletics.

Both Rakshitha and Simran now have sponsored deals that help in funding their training. They pay their guides and give them share of any prize money they win. But Rahul and Abhay want more support from the kingdom and allowed to apply for public sector jobs reserved for players and women – as they work with athletes.

Despite the uncertainty around his future with Abhay, Simran is already looking forward to the next paralympic Games in Los Angeles. “I won’t rest until I change the color of this medal,” she says, hopefully she will win the gold next time.

Rakshitha is expecting a medal next time, with Rahul. “He must win a medal,” he says. “There are many people like him in the villages. They do not know about sports and possibilities. Rakshitha will be a role model for him.”

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (ISWOTY) Award is back with its fifth edition to celebrate and honor the remarkable achievements of women athletes in India. Find out about nominees – The winner will be announced on 17 February.