Deepthi Jeevanji

Deepthi Jeevanji (born 27 September 2003) is an Indian para-athlete from Telangana. She takes part in the women’s 400 meters T20 run. In the Para Athletic World Championship 2024 at Kobe, Japan, she set a world record in the 400m T20 category clocking 55.06 sec on 20 May 2024. She also qualified for the Paris Paralympics. Earlier, she set the Asian Para Games record in 2023. She broke the record of American Breanna Clark, which stood at 55.12s. She is currently supported by OGQ.

Early life
Jeevanji was born in Kalleda village, Warangal district, Telangana. Her parents, Jeevanji Yadhagiri and Jeevanji Dhanalaxmi, had a half-acre agricultural land, and also used to work at others' farms as daily wage labourers. She was spotted by her school PET teacher in her Class 9 in Warangal. Later, she came under coach Ramesh, the Indian coach of the Junior team. She was also supported by Pullela Gopichand, who suggested that she be tested at the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disability in Hyderabad. There, she was certified under the mentally impaired category, after the relevant tests, and that allowed her to participate as para athlete.

Career
Jeevanji was selected for the Indian team that took part in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where she won the gold medal with a new Asian Para record and the Games record on 24 October 2023 in her pet event, the 400m run in T20 category. She clocked a time of 56.69s to take the gold ahead of Thailand’s Orawan Kaising. Japan's Niina Kanno won the bronze. She was selected to the Indian team that took part at 2024 world Paralympics championships in Kobe, Japan Championships in May in the 100m and 200m (Category F) after two gold in the All-India Inter-University Championships gold at Bhubaneshwar.

Earlier, she qualified for the finals setting a new Asian record with a time of 56.18 seconds and secured a Paris 2024 Paralympics quota.with a second place in the 100m (Category F) at the Indian U20 Federation Cup at Chhotu Bhai Purani Sports Complex, Nadiad.