The sports section of this paper recently highlighted the story of a woman para athlete from Uttar Pradesh. Preeti Pal is a Paralympian, winning two bronze medals in the sprint 100m and 200m in Paris 2024, and also won a silver and bronze medal at the World Para Athletics in Delhi, recently. She was felicitated recently at a South Mumbai club, speaking about her beginnings, sporting journey and her goals for the future.

What shocked the audience into silence, though, was the para athlete’s candour about the ridicule she had to face as a girl born with cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood, says Wikipedia. Some signs and symptoms include poor coordination, stiff or weak muscles, and tremors.