- Sharanya Kheruka’s Living Histories documents the courage, resilience and determination of Maharashtra’s para-athletes
- Paralympic Committee of India President Devendra Jhajharia unveils the book
- Para-athletes Sukant Kadam and Sandip Sanjay Sargar feature in the collection
- A sporting injury prompts the young Mumbai author to look at setbacks through a different lens
- Book seeks to take the inspiring journeys of accomplished para-athletes to children and young readers
NE SPORTS/LITERARY BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, OCT 17
A sporting injury helped a 16-year-old Mumbai girl see setbacks differently. The stories of India’s para-athletes then showed her how courage, perseverance and the pursuit of a dream can transcend adversity. The result is Living Histories: Stories of Maharashtra’s Paralympians—a book by Sharanya Kheruka that has received recognition from Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President Devendra Jhajharia, who unveiled the volume in the presence of PCI Director Satyanarayana and para-athletes Sukant Kadam and Sandip Sanjay Sargar.
Behind every medal lies a story that rarely reaches the podium: painful setbacks, difficult choices, relentless training, moments of uncertainty and the determination to begin again. Living Histories seeks to bring these less-visible journeys to a wider readership, documenting how para-athletes from Maharashtra have overcome personal challenges and pursued their ambitions on the national and international sporting stage.
Despite their achievements and international medals, many para-athletes remain unfamiliar to the wider public. Their journeys—often marked by limited opportunities, demanding training schedules and formidable personal hurdles—deserve to be known beyond sporting arenas and medal ceremonies.
Growing up in Mumbai, Sharanya was struck by how little was widely known about the accomplished para-athletes from Maharashtra and the journeys that had taken them to the international stage. She wanted to bridge that gap, particularly for young readers who could find in these athletes examples of determination, self-belief and resilience.
Explaining what inspired the book, Sharanya said: “Sport has always been a huge part of my life, and a sporting injury changed the way I looked at setbacks. When I spoke to these incredible Paralympians and listened to their stories, I was deeply moved by their courage, gratitude and determination to keep pursuing their dreams despite the challenges they had faced. I was amazed that so many of these athletes had represented India and won medals on the global stage, yet such few people knew their stories. I began to wonder how many other children were equally unaware of their journeys. This inspired me to write the book to bring their stories to young readers and show them that even in the face of adversity, there is courage to be found, obstacles to overcome and dreams worth pursuing.”
Among the athletes featured are Sukant Kadam and Sandip Sanjay Sargar, whose individual experiences reflect the diverse paths that lead to competitive para-sport. Their accounts explore the challenges of finding opportunities, sustaining demanding training routines and continuing to believe in their potential when the way forward is uncertain.
The book’s purpose extends beyond recording sporting accomplishments. By placing the people and their experiences at the centre of the narrative, Sharanya hopes to make Maharashtra’s para-athletes more visible and help children understand that achievement is about much more than medals.
Living Histories seeks to bring young readers closer to athletes whose journeys demonstrate that adversity need not define a person’s possibilities. In telling their stories, the young author invites readers to look beyond limitations, recognise courage in its many forms and appreciate the persistence that makes extraordinary sporting journeys possible.