New Delhi: Varun Singh Bhati was diagnosed with polio at a young age, but that did not stop him from attaining great heights in the sporting universe. The 25-year-old high jumper spoke about how he overcame his disability and went on to become a Paralympic bronze medallist in 2016, on the show ‘The Finish Line’, hosted by Asian Games Gold medallist squash player Saurav Ghosal.
Bhati described 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,” he said.
“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.”
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,” he said.
“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.
