Deepa Malik

Deepa Malik (born 30 September 1970) is an Indian athlete. She started her career at the age of 30. She is the first Indian woman to win a medal in Paralympic Games and won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in shot put. She also won gold in the F-53/54 Javelin event at the para athletic Grand Prix held in Dubai in 2018. She is currently the world number one in the F-53 category. She has won accolades for her participation in various adventure sports. She is associated with Himalayan Motorsports Association (H.M.A.) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (F.M.S.C.I.). She has undertaken an 8-day, 1,700-km drive in sub-zero temperatures which included a climb to 18000 ft. It was – Raid De Himalaya. This journey covers many difficult paths including remote Himalayas, Leh, Shimla and Jammu.

She is a member of the working group in the formulation 12th five-year plan (2012–2017) on sports and physical education as nominated by the Planning Commission HRD Division on behalf of the Sports Ministry. She is also the 'Clean India' brand ambassador for NMDC and expert consultant for Disability Inclusive Accessible Infrastructure for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs 'Smart Cities' project. In 2020, she was elected as President of the Paralympic Committee of India.

Early life
Malik was born to Veena Nagpal and Bal Krishan Nagpal in 1970. Her father was in the Indian Army. Her brother, Vikram Nagpal, is a brigadier in the Indian Army. Her elder daughter Devika is studying sports psychology. At age 5, she was diagnosed with a spinal tumor for which she underwent three years of treatment. The treatment was successful but Malik required aggressive physiotherapy to recover.

In 1999 at age 29, Malik was again diagnosed with spinal tumor. She underwent three surgeries to successfully remove the tumor, but the surgeries left her paralyzed from the waist down. Afterwards, she again underwent physiotherapy for six years. After recovering, Malik began to develop an interest in sports. She became a swimmer and a biker, and soon afterwards swam across the River Yamuna.

Achievements
Deepa Malik is the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. She won the silver medal in the shot put in 2016 Paralympic Games. She was previously honored with the Arjuna award in 2012, at the age of 42 years. She has also been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2017. She created a New Asian Record in Asian Para Games 2018 and is the only Indian woman to win medals in 3 consecutive Asian Para Games (2010, 2014, 2018). She has won 58 national and 23 international medals across all disciplines to date.She was the first woman to win medal in the Paralympics

International participation and medals

 * Asian Para Games 2018, Jakarta 2018 | 2 Bronze Medals(3rd Position) - 1 Bronze F53/F54 Category (Javelin Throw), 1 Bronze F51/52/53 Category (Discus Throw)
 * Paralympic Games 2016, Rio 2016 | Silver Medal (2nd Position) - First Ever Indian Woman to win a Paralympic Medal (shot put)
 * IPC Athletics World Championship, Doha, Qatar 2015 | Diploma (5th Position) – (shot put)
 * IPC Oceania Asian Championship, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 2016 | 1 Gold (javelin), 1 Silver (shot put)
 * Won Incheon Asian Para Games 2014 – Silver medal in women's 53–54 Javelin with a new Asian Record and has now qualified to be at IPC World Athletics Championship Doha 2015 to be held in Oct 2015
 * IPC 2nd China Open Athletics Championship Beijing 10–17 April 2014– Shotput F53-55 Gold
 * German open athletics championship Berlin 2013 – IPC Qualification event – Only women from India to earn qualification for IPC world athletics championship Lyon 2013
 * IPC World Athletics Championship, Lyon 2013 – Diploma Position
 * First Malaysian Open Athletics Championship April 2012 – Two Gold Medals – (Javelin and discus) – New Official Asian Record In Javelin F-53 Women – Felicitated by Milkha Singh Ji and P.T.Usha Ji.
 * IWAS World Games Sharjah Dec-2011- Two Bronze Medals – Two New Asian Records
 * IPC World Athletics Championship Christchurch Jan 2011 – Silver Medal
 * IPC World Athletics Championship New Zealand 2011 – Only women para-athlete to qualify for the same *Commonwealth Games 2010 – Diploma Position – Shot Put
 * Para-Asian Games China Dec 2010 – Bronze Medal – First Ever Medal Won By A Woman Athlete at Asian Games
 * CP Sports Nottingham England Sep 2010 – Three Gold Medals – Shot-put, Discus, Javelin
 * IWAS World Games, India 2009– shot put- Bronze Medal
 * World Open Swimming Championship- Berlin 2008 – 10th Position S-5 Swimming Backstroke
 * IWAS World Games Taiwan- 2007 – Diploma Position – Javelin F53 Women
 * FESPIC Games Kuala Lumpur 2006 – 2ND Position S-5 Swimming Backstroke
 * Qualified B Level – Javelin Throw F-53 For Beijing Olympics 2008 – Felicitated By Kapil Dev

Motor sports
Deepa Malik was one of the first persons to receive a license for an invalid (modified) rally vehicle, a case she consistently pursued for 19 months in Maharashtra. She is also the first physically challenged individual in the country to receive an official rally license from the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI) and become a navigator and driver in the toughest car rallies of the country- Raid-de-HIMALAYA 2009 and Desert Storm 2010.

Malik participated in the grid and national anthem ceremony at the start of the 2013 Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit.

Her aim of joining motorsports is to spread awareness towards the fact that physically challenged individuals can obtain an official license and attain independence and self-reliance through driving. Deepa Malik has undertaken numerous rallies to promote this cause.

Personal life
Malik is married to Bikram Singh Malik, who proposed to her with a bike rather than a ring. They bonded over a mutual love of sports. "I had fallen in love with Bikram because he was a biker," said Malik of their relationship. Singh Malik is a former colonel in the Indian Army. Together, they have two daughters.

Aside from her sports career, Malik has pursued other interests as well. In 2003 while her husband was away on tour, she opened a restaurant in Ahmednagar where she employed underprivileged youths and took care that they return to their education. The restaurant continued operations until its closure in 2010.

National awards

 * President Role Model Award (2014)
 * Arjuna Award (2012)
 * Maharashtra Chhatrapati Award (sports) (2009–10)
 * Haryana Karambhoomi Award (2008)
 * Swawlamban Puruskar Maharashtra (2006)
 * Padma Shri Award (2017)
 * First Ladies Award - Ministry of Women & Child Development.
 * Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2019)

Other awards

 * WCRC Leaders Asia Excellence Award 2014
 * Limca people of the year award 2014
 * iCONGO Karamveer Puruskar 2014
 * Amazing Indian Awards Times Now-2013
 * Cavinkare National Ability Mastery Award −2013
 * Karamaveer Chakra award 2013
 * Nominee for L'Oreal Femina Awards 2013 in “Women We Love Category”
 * Batra Positive Health Hero Award 2012
 * AWWA Excellence Award For Sports 2012
 * Media Peace & Excellence Award For Sports 2012
 * Maharana Mewar Arawali Sports Award 2012
 * Misaal-e-Himmat Award (2012)
 * International Women's day appreciation Award 2011 – Cancer Patient Aid Association New Delhi.
 * Shree Shakti Puruskar CARE- 2011
 * District Sports Award Ahmednagar-2010
 * Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar 2009
 * Naari Gaurav Puraskar 2009
 * Guru Gobind Shaurya Puraskar 2009
 * Rotary Women Of The Year Award 2007


 * For the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
 * inr 40000000 from the Government of Haryana
 * inr 5000000 from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Records and rankings
LIMCA World Records
 * Holds An Official IPC Asian Record In Javelin F-53 Category – Felicitated by Milkha Singh and P.T.Usha.
 * Holds All Three National Records In Throws {Discus, Javelin, Shot-put} In F-53 Category
 * Holds All Three National Records In S-1 Swimming Category {Back Stroke, Breast Stroke, Free Style }
 * World Ranking 2010–12 – 2nd Shot-put, 3rd -Discus, 3rd Javelin
 * Asian Ranking 2010–12 – 1st In All Three Throws
 * Longest Pan-India drive done by a paraplegic women. Chennai-Delhi 3278 km – 2013
 * Driving Across Nine High Altitude Passes in Nine Days on Leh-Ladakh Highest Motorable Roads. (First Woman in the world in her disability to attempt a journey like this – 2011)
 * Riding Special Bike −2009
 * Swimming in River Yamuna Against The Current For 1 km. Allahabad-2008

Public appearances

 * 11 October 2019, On the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child, Deepa appeared on the popular Indian TV game show Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Political career
Deepa Malik joined the BJP shortly before the 2019 general election.