New Delhi, July 28 -- Para shot-putter Sharmila Dhankar is living the dream after clinching the gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday.

With her victory, Dhankar became India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medallist in para athletics. But the triumph was about far more than sporting glory. It marked the culmination of years of resilience, perseverance and personal struggle.

Sharmila Dhankar was born on 15 August 1986 in Haryana's Chitrauli village to a low-income family. Her father is a farmer, and her mother is visually impaired.

When she was just two years old, she contracted polio, and it permanently affected her left leg. It wasn't until she was 34 years old that she could begin her sporting career.

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