Varun Singh Bhati opens up about fighting polio and becoming a Paralympic medallist
Oct 01, 2020
New Delhi [India], October 1 : Varun Singh Bhati was diagnosed with polio at a young age, but that did not deter the high jumper from attaining great heights in the sporting universe. The 25-year-old speaks about how he overcame his disability and went on to become a Paralympic bronze medallist in 2016, in the sixth episode of "The Finish Line", hosted by Asian Games Gold medallist squash player Saurav Ghosal.
Bhati describes how he felt when he went to Rio for his first Paralympics and winning a medal for India.
"It was my dream since 2012 to compete in an Olympic stadium. That is where the best athletes compete. Olympics and Paralympics are the biggest stages for any athlete. We train for our whole life for that moment. The Paralympics 2016 was my favourite tournament and not because I won a medal, but because when I was there, I felt so calm and wasn't tensed at all. I performed like I wanted to in the competition. The memories from that tournament are still fresh in my mind," he said.
The high jumper added that if one wants to achieve something then the goal should be clear in the person's mind.
"I have focussed more on my capabilities and less on the negative aspects of myself. I like to stay positive. If someone wants to achieve something then the goal should be absolutely clear in that someone's mind. If you don't have a goal then you won't be able to take the first step and everything starts from the first step. I didn't want to do anything other than high jump so I kept thinking about how I can better myself. I have learned from my mistakes. Learning from mistakes helps one get better," said Bhati.
The show, which was launched on August 28 with India's only individual Olympic Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra as its first guest, is conceptualized and produced by India's leading sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures.
The sixth episode of "The Finish Line" will be aired on Baseline Ventures' YouTube, Facebook and Instagram pages at 6 pm on Friday, October 2.
The first season of The Finish Line will consist of eight parts wherein a sporting legend will be invited to recreate a defining moment in Indian sports in each of the episodes. The eight legends who have been confirmed are Abhinav Bindra, Viswanathan Anand, Dinesh Karthik, Pankaj Advani, Smriti Mandhana, Leander Paes, Parul Parmar and Varun Singh Bhati.
