Chapter 5 — The World of Limitless Possibilities

Dr. Deepa Malik is an Indian Paralympian honoured with the Khel Ratna, the Arjuna Award, and the Padma Shri. The International Paralympic Committee also named her one of the 10 most inspirational women para-athletes globally.

She was 29 when the spine tumour was diagnosed. After surgery, doctors declared she would be permanently paralysed from the waist down and bound to a wheelchair.

Her breakthrough came at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, where she secured the silver medal in the shot-put event. She describes it as a moment of personal victory and a step forward in changing perceptions.

She is India's first ever female Paralympics medallist across any sport, and the first Indian female para-athlete to win an Asian Games medal in athletics.

India's debut at the Paralympics was in 1968. The first medal was won in swimming in 1972.

It is her core belief that physical limitations do not define a person's potential — that individuals with disabilities can be as capable as, if not more than, their able-bodied counterparts.

She organises disability sports awareness and advocacy sessions at schools and colleges, empowers women through outdoor sports and adventure activities, supports persons from lower socio-economic strata, and provides equipment to para sportspersons.

Written by David Roth, the poem is set at a Special Olympics event during a hundred-yard dash. The smallest runner stumbles and falls. The other eight runners stop, turn around, and help him to his feet. All nine then walk hand in hand to the finish line and are awarded gold medals, to a standing ovation from spectators.

The poem 'Nine Gold Medals' was written by David Roth.

The chapter states that the Paralympics trace back to 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition for war veterans with spinal cord injuries in England, called the Stoke Mandeville Games. The first Olympic-style games for differently-abled athletes were held in Rome in 1960. Since the late twentieth century the Paralympics have been held in the same host city as the corresponding Olympic Games.

The chapter's infographic explains that Agitos comes from Latin meaning 'I move' and is the visual representation of the Paralympic Movement.

The chapter covers modal auxiliaries (could, couldn't, should, would) and their various functions, as well as converting sentences from direct speech to reported speech. Writing tasks include drafting a notice and practising formal and informal interview language.

Dr. Malik identifies societal perceptions as a significant challenge — people often underestimated her abilities. She overcame this through physical strength, mental resilience, and by embracing challenges as opportunities to prove her capabilities, supported by her family and her own fortitude.

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