This Republic Day, Stand With Suvarna Raj And Help India’s Para-Athletes Dream Big

“It was 11 in the night. I was all of 15, sitting in my wheelchair and crying all alone. The rickshaw that had to pick me hadn’t turned up that evening. Hours had passed, but no one at home noticed I was missing. Polio struck me when I was 2. But this feeling of being invisible struck me every single day. The only way I could get people to see me…was to bring home medal after medal. Sports gave me my voice, and I will use it to change the fate of many more like me who are still invisible to society…” Suvarna Raj, International Para athlete, Founder – Para Sports Foundation. 

Table tennis, powerlifting, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, inclusivity and changemaking. These are Suvarna Raj’s forte. Since her first medal in primary school, 41-year-old Suvarna Raj has won golds and silvers in national and international games. But her journey to this self-made fame was fraught with hurdles, making her work relentlessly towards changing the fate of budding para-athletes and the differently-abled in India. 

She wanted to explore the world, but the world wasn’t wheelchair-friendly

When a 2-year-old Suvarna was diagnosed with polio in both legs and became paralysed from the waist down, the society wrote her life off without a second thought. She was put in a hostel for special children, where she spent 10 years of her life between four walls. When she set out to see the world that she had dreamt of, she realized she wasn’t welcome. Most public spaces were inaccessible to her. Only sports kept her going.

Although she found solace in sports, tournaments meant moments of anxiety for Suvarna. She was confident that she’d bring home the medals, but the journey to the event itself was filled with barriers: inaccessible toilets, floor mattress, upper berths on trains, inaccessible accommodation, or insufficient funds. 

“Para-athletes need support staff when on sports tours. When I practiced discus throw, I’d need to throw it at least 50 times. Without support staff, I’d pick them up by myself. It was draining. We need supplements, someone to help us go to the gym, cab service and the financial aid for it. The requirements of a para-athlete are more than an athlete, and that’s the reality. But these needs are hardly  seen.” – Suvarna Raj. 

This Republic Day, be a ray of hope for budding para-athletes

Together with her husband Pradeep, Suvarna Raj took it upon herself to empower young para-athletes from the slums and rural regions across India and support them to become fine players. Their mission is to ensure every para-athlete at Para Sports Foundation receives necessary support. The foundation needs your help to accomplish their mission.

“Today, we take our children to tournaments in AC coaches. We give them support staff they can rely on. They are provided with nutrition supplements, standard sports equipment, and wheelchairs. We need your help to keep PSF going. There are many para-athletes waiting for our help, and together we can change their fate.” – Pradeep, Founder - PSF.

India’s para-athletes made the nation proud at the Paris Paralympics 2024 by winning an astounding 29 medals. These champions have shown the world what determination, resilience, and grit can achieve, even in the face of challenges. This Republic Day, join hands with Suvarna and Pradeep and donate nutrition supplements , sports equipment, groceries , wheelchairs to fuel their dreams and inspire countless others.  

About the NGO:  Founded in 2014 by Suvarna Raj and her husband, the Para Sports Foundation was born out of a deep understanding of the struggles faced by underprivileged para-athletes. A para-athlete herself, Suvarna has lived their challenges and dreams. With an unshakable resolve to turn their pain into power, she created a platform to empower them with the opportunities they deserve, inspiring them to rise above limitations and reach extraordinary heights.