Praveen Kumar: I’ve never thought of myself as ‘just’ a para athlete. I want to inspire everyone
Winning gold in Men’s high jump T64 at the Paris Paralympics changed my life. I cleared 2.08m, a personal best, and stood on top of the podium with the Indian flag. I’d won medals before, including a silver at the Tokyo Paralympics and gold at the Asian Para Games, but Paris felt different. It gave me a new sense of freedom. I don’t worry about money the way I used to. If I want to shop, I shop. When Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium closed for World Championships renovations and I lost access to its gym, I bought my own weight set and installed it in the basement of my Delhi home. I’ve removed every excuse for not doing well.
Now, as the Para Athletics World Championships in New Delhi approach, my focus is sharper than ever. This is the one medal missing from my collection. I’ve been unlucky with injuries — twice, including at both the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics, I hurt my take-off foot. But I’m trying to stay healthy this time. This Championship is not only important for me but also for para sports in India.
More than 100 countries will be there, and I believe the crowds will be bigger than usual. People will see buses of athletes, flags from around the world, and the level of competition. That exposure can inspire young athletes and spread awareness of our sport.
In training, I’m adjusting for peak performance. Off-season, my weight work is about lifting heavy and slow. But as competition nears, I shift to speed. Because of my disability, it’s never straightforward. My legs are different lengths, so I balance my left foot on two weight plates to even things out. Still, the pressure on my spine is constant, and balance remains tricky.
Right now, I’m doing snatch lifts of 60kg, bench presses of 85kg, and squats of 120kg — sometimes even 150kg. When people who know nothing about para athletes see me lifting, they can’t believe it. On the street, they might see only a “disabled” person, but in the gym or on the field, I show them something they never imagined. That moment, when their perception changes, is what I enjoy most.
A double Olympic medalist and Asian record holder, Praveen Kumar will be one of the home favourites at the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
A double Olympic medalist and Asian record holder, Praveen Kumar will be one of the home favourites at the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships.
| Photo Credit:
SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Jumping is my passion. At 165cm tall, I cleared 2.08m in Paris. That’s a 43cm difference. The world record, whether for able-bodied or para athletes, is a 57cm gap. That’s my dream target. If I can reach 2.09m or 2.10m in Delhi, I’ll start believing I can chase that number.
People sometimes ask why I set my sights so high. I already have a Paralympic gold, after all. But I’ve never thought of myself as just a para athlete. I want to inspire everyone.
That mindset goes back to my childhood in Jewar. My teachers didn’t want me to compete in high jump because they thought I’d hurt myself. I had one leg with a disability, but my other leg was springy. So I insisted. That stubbornness paid off. I became the best jumper in my school — and then the best in India. I even won gold at the CBSE school Nationals against able-bodied athletes. Some competitors resented losing to someone with a disability. At first, they didn’t mind me joining in because they never believed I could beat them. Once I did, they wanted me moved to “my own” category.
That’s how I learned about para sports. I found my coach, Satyapal Singh sir, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. In my very first trial there, I cleared 1.80m. He called the other athletes and told them I was the kind of example he wanted. I’ve been training with him ever since.
Talent alone isn’t enough — you need someone to believe in you. Satyapal sir has been that for me, especially during my lowest moment in 2019. At the Junior World Championships, I was classified into a tougher category than expected. I had prepared for a field where the record was 1.95m, but suddenly I was up against a record of 2.19m. I felt defeated and quit the sport for a few months. He kept persuading me to return, and eventually I did. That decision led me to Tokyo, where I won silver, and then to Paris, where I fulfilled my dream.
I’ve come far, but I know there’s more to do. I’ve never won a World Championship medal. I want to stand on the podium in Delhi, not just for myself but for everyone who sees me jump. Many people in the stands may not even know my name. That’s fine. I want them to leave thinking, “I didn’t know he could do that.”
As told to Jonathan Selvaraj
Published on Sep 25, 2025