24-year-old Indian para-athlete who met PM Modi, Mukesh Ambani says villagers called her ‘waste’ for being blind

Indian para-athlete Rakshitha Raju, 24, has won many awards, including gold medals, in her career. She also participated in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

24-year-old Rakshitha Raju who won gold medals at the 2018 and 2023 Asian Games and competed in Paris paralympics opened up about her journey, prejudices she faced for being blind and her guide runner in an interview with BBC.

Para-athlete Rakshitha Raju met PM Modi and Mukesh Ambani on separate occasions. (Instagram/@rakshitha_para_athlete)

“She is a waste”

While talking to the outlet, Raju said, “When I was growing up, everyone in my village would say: 'She is blind, she is a waste'.” Born in a village in South India, she lost her parents when she was just 10.

She was raised by her grandmother, who also had hearing and speech impairment. "Both of us are disabled, so my grandma understood me," Raju said.

When did she start running?

She was first introduced to this sport when her teacher at school told her that she had the potential to be a “great athlete,” reported the outlet. Raju recalls her first reaction was, “I wondered: 'How? I am blind, so how do I run on a track I can't see?’.”

That is when her sports teacher explained to her that visually impaired runners can run with a guide; they are the people who run alongside the athletes. A tether joins the runners.

How did she meet her guide runner?

She told the outlet that her classmates or other pupils acted as her runners for a while. However, things changed in 2016 when she met Rahul Balakrishna. He used to run as a middle-distance runner but joined the Paralympic Committee of India while recovering from injuries.

Eventually, he decided to become both a coach and a guide runner for Raju. Describing their strong bond, Raju said, “I believe in my guide runner more than myself."

Raju also has an Instagram page filled with videos and images that give a glimpse into her life. Some posts also show her meeting dignitaries, including PM Modi and Mukesh Ambani.