Parents turn cheerleaders for a set of ‘special’ champions in Ludhiana

Reaping rewards, athletes with intellectual disabilities bagged medals at the 24th Punjab State Special Olympics in Ludhiana

Singing the iconic lines “sir utha kar jiyo, na muh chhupa kar jeeyo (Live with your head held high)”, 17-year-old Yesheevardhan comes across as a rather enthusiastic teenager.

Yesheevardhan Rathore with his mother during the 24th Punjab State Special Olympics in Ludhiana. (Manish/HT )

He was diagnosed with autism when he was three, a year after he lost his father, but his mother, Aruna Thakur, a retired lab assistant, has been fighting on multiple fronts to ensure he is not weighed down by the odds stacked against him.

Reaping rewards, he bagged gold in 50 m running and softball throw at the 24th Punjab State Special Olympics, which concluded on Sunday.

The youngster’s interests, however, go beyond sports. He enjoys singing and is now testing his skills on the dance floor.

Aruna is always on the move, taking her son to one or another of his interest classes. “It took me time to come to terms with my son’s diagnosis,” she says, adding, “Accepting the situation helped me look up for avenues to make his life better. I have come across many parents who aren’t even ready to accept the problem thereby making it even harder for their kids to get the special care they need.”

Although intellectually disabled, one of his favourite pastimes is telling what day would fall on a given date. He doesn’t guess. He’s always on the dot.

Equally spirited is 25-year-old Abhay, who has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. He, however, is also too gritty to let his condition keep him from smiling and twisting his moustache. Supporting the pursuit of his dreams is another spirited mother, Sunita Purant.

Sunita and her husband, a retired Punjab State Road Transport Corporation employee, work as volunteers at their son’s special school in Mohali and are his biggest cheerleaders.

Amanpreet Kaur, a mother of a 20-year-old boy with an intellectual disability, also worries about her son’s future. The fear, however, she says is what pushes her to make sure her son develops the skills needed to be able to look after himself.

The State Special Olympics provide one such platform for those diagnosed with intellectual disabilities to find their calling.

The 24th edition of Punjab State Special Olympics was held between December 8 to 10 at Ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Public School. Over 600 special athletes from across the state, including 18 who have represented India on the international stage, participated across 15 events this year.