India's first woman double medalist at the Paralympics, Avani Lekhara addressed a group of visually impaired students during the unique school-visit campaign, Meet The Champions, held in New Delhi's Shaheed Hemu Kalani Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya on Monday.
With cheers and applause, the shooter who created her own legacy in what was her debut Paralympics was welcomed by students from the South-East District of New Delhi for a close interaction on Santulit Aahar (balanced diet), fitness and sports.
"It is very likely to come across ridiculous comments and criticism from people. They may think that you cannot achieve something you want but if you keep at it, one day you will excel and they will see that too," said Avani Lekhara as per an official release.
Taking forward the programme with various interesting anecdotes, videos and questions with the students, 20-year old Avani shared her childhood memories related to diet, her fitness routine and academics.
"I was very choosy about food and fast food has been my favourite. But once I started having a balanced diet I realised that I felt more energetic and my game improved. If you eat well, no matter what you do, whether you play sport or study you will do it better and you will be in a happier state of mind," said Avani.
She also stressed the importance of having a good group of friends and supportive parents in life and said, "When you have good friends and supportive parents, it becomes easier for one to overcome challenges of life and pursue the goal. As students, it is your duty to support one another. Don't make fun of those around you if they are weak in something, instead help them."
Avani also carried the Rifle that fetched her gold medal at the Paralympics and showing the gun, she spoke about its functions and technicalities during the programme.
This unique initiative is being organized jointly by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Education and is part of the government's 'Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
( With inputs from ANI )
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