Daughter Of A Bus Driver, Aruna Tanwar Is The First Indian To Qualify For Tokyo Paralympic Games. She’s An Inspiration
They say where there is a will, there is a way. Honestly, this is a saying that many of us take with a bit of cynicism. I mean, we always have reasons for something not working out. But sometimes, when you have the dedication needed and the support of people who catalyse your growth, things work out – against all odds. We think money makes more money but you don’t have to be a millionaire’s child to make it big! Of course, not everyone has that kind of rare perseverance and those who do become worthy of admiration and inspiration. For instance, when you read of Aruna Tanwar, the first Indian to participate in the upcoming Tokyo Paralympic Games, the vibe is of pride and veneration.
The games will be held from 24th August to 5th September and Aruna Tanwar is the first Taekwondo athlete from India to qualify for it. She was awarded a wild card entry due to her “exemplary past performances”.
Aruna Tanwar hails from the Bhiwani district in Haryana and is the daughter of a private bus driver. When she was born, her family noticed her hands and fingers were unusually small. But never ever was that considered a setback in her life. It was her father’s dream to see his daughter make her country proud in the field of sports. And indeed, it is happening!
She always loved martial arts but she didn’t get much success in general category due to her special physical features. However, when Aruna Tanwar started playing para-taekwondo (modified to enable people with upper limbs disability), she started nailing it and how!
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“My parents supported me. They accompanied me in every national tournament. Both mother & father believed in me & whatever I’ve achieved till now is because of them. I’ll try to bag a medal in Paralympics & make them proud”, Aruna Tanwar told ANI.
While many Indian athletes suffer from lack of funding, Aruna Tanwar had it quite difficult too! Her father, being a humble bus driver, had to sell jewellery and borrow money to support her journey financially. He revealed that they had a lot of financial difficulty but her hard work paid off. He also urged the government to aid her financially.
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“She is the first Taekwondo athlete from India to qualify for the Paralympics. This has opened the doors for all the aspiring athletes specially all the female athletes that want to be in this position,” Indian Taekwondo President Namdev Shirgaonkar said in a statement.
Fighting against all odds – gender bias, lack of financial aid and her own special physical features – Aruna Tanwar is a true inspiration for all.
