21 year old Tangavelu Mariyappan won a gold in Rio Paralympics in high jump. And to the joy of India, the bronze in the same event was won by Greater Noida boy Varun Bhati. India had earlier won gold medals in Paralympics in 1972 for swimming and in 2004 for javelin throw. Mariyappan has been raised by a single mom who sold vegetables.
Paralympics involves athletes with a range of disabilities including impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, vision impairment, intellectual imairment, post-polio syndrome etc. There are Winter and Summer Paralympics held immediately following respective Olympics.
