After being named as one of the ‘Next Generation Leaders’ by TIME Magazine in October 2020, Para-athlete Manasi Joshi has made it to BBC's list of 100 Women for the year. The Para-Badminton World Champion, Joshi became the first and only Indian para-athlete to get a Barbie doll modelled after her on International Day of Girl Child 2020.
Joshi is ranked world number two in the SL3 (Standing/lower limb impairment/minor) singles category by the Badminton World Federation. Last year, she clinched gold for India in the World Para-Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland. 31-year-old Joshi is a Gujarat-based software engineer, who defeated World No. 1 and compatriot Parul Parmar to pick her maiden title.
Recently, the Mumbai-based athlete also appeared on the TIMES Magazine's cover page of Asian edition as an advocate for the rights of disabled people in India. “This year has been challenging to women in so many ways. Don’t let the tough times get the better of you: keep exploring every possibility. Give yourself some time off every day,” Joshi told the BBC.
Also Read: The Gender Pay Gap In Sport: Why We Must Talk About It
Manasi’s story
An engineer by qualification, Joshi lost her leg in an accident at the age of 29, in December 2011. She defied all odds and with one artificial leg, she became a para-badminton player. A national and international level para-badminton player, Joshi completed her graduation in Electronics Engineering from KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, University of Mumbai in 2010.
In an exclusive interview with SheThePeople, Joshi explained how she bounced back after her accident. “My family has never ever said ‘no’ to me. They have always encouraged me to do whatever pleases me, in a sense, they were the wind beneath my wings. Skills you learn while playing a sport remain with you for the rest of one’s life and that’s what happened to me. Sport taught me some of the most important skills, for example, to accept the current loss and try and win another time. Once you accept the loss, it’s extremely easy to adapt to new things even if it is a disability. I also followed a yoga and meditation regimen for myself in those days when I was recovering from the accident,” she said.
Talking about the challenges, she added, “The main challenge I faced was not so much the accessibility, but the insensitivity of people towards disability. I feel we in India have a long way to go in accepting disabled people into the mainstream.”
Her winning moments
A huge fan of PV Sindhu, ever since Joshi started competing at an international level, she has never returned without a medal. In September 2015, she won silver in mixed doubles at the Para-Badminton World Championship held in Stoke Mandeville, England. She clinched a bronze at 2016 women’s singles, another bronze at the 2017 World Championship, and gold at a Spanish international event. In October 2018, Joshi won a bronze medal at the Asian Para Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Also Read:Behind PV Sindhu’s Success Are Her Parents Who Worked Equally Hard
Her advice to youngsters
Advising the younger generation be patient towards their goals, Joshi said, “People lose hope because there are people around them who tell them that it will be difficult. I want to tell everyone that it is really easy. If you think you want to do it, you will find people who will help you and make you reach where you are supposed to go. Things are extremely easy. All we require is honesty and patience.”
Feature Image Credit: Dhoolmitti
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