What once started as an initiative to rebuild her life has now led to bringing laurels for the country. Para athlete Sharmila Dhankar has made history by clinching the first-ever gold medal for India with her performance at the ongoing Commonwealth Para-Athletic Games, in Glasgow (Scotland). At the age of 40, the para sportsperson won the women’s F57 shot put and the season’s best throw of 9.81m.Para athlete Sharmila Dhankar was born in Chitrauli village of Haryana’s Mahendragarh district. (Photo: X)Flashback to the time when she was born in a humble set-up at Chitrauli village in Haryana’s Mahendragarh district. Her father is a farmer, and her mother was visually impaired. At the age of two, Sharmila contracted polio that left her left leg permanently affected as she could not avail timely medical care. Thus began a childhood that was mostly spent in shackles, until she got married at 18. Unfortunately what followed was a life of domestic abuse, due to dowry demands. She gave birth to two daughters, and brought them up yet in her mid-twenties was asked to leave her marital home along with her children.Despite a life full of challenges, Sharmila refused to feel bogged down. Her life took a turn for better when she married Ajit Singh, a mason, whose support enabled her to pursue new beginnings. Along with her coach, Tek Chand an Indian Paralympic shot putter and javelin thrower, she entered para-athletics at the age of 34. In the F57 category of shot put, she made her breakthrough in the 2021 Para National Championships, where she set a national record with a throw of 7.40m and won gold at her debut!Her performance kept rising from there, as she also won gold at the 2025 Indian Open Para Athletics Championships in Bengaluru with a 9.77m throw. In 2022 Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham, she missed a medal by a short margin but still managed to set a national record of 8.43m throw.It is, however, Glasgow that has brought her the crowning glory to her with the historic gold and the new record that the country has stood up to notice like never before. Upon winning this, Dhankar told ANI in Glasgow: “Bahut achha lag raha hai mehnat se gold laake. This was my mother’s dream as well as my dream. I’ve got this gold with a lot of hard work... My mother would be really happy, and this is for her... I will continue bringing glory to the nation.” Compiled by Dhanvie SharmaFor more, follow @htcity.delhijunction