Mysuru: Refusing to let his disability come in the way of his dream, Lingesh, a resident of Madapura village in T. Narsipur taluk, has made it big in international level by winning various medals at para sports meets. Struck with polio when he was three-years-old, Lingesh’s parents took him to various hospitals but in vain.

His interest in para sports began two years ago. Lingesh said “Being paralysed from my waist to my feet, I am 75 per cent disabled. I was once watching a para sports meet on TV and thought why couldn’t I involve myself in sports and began to collect information on how para sports are played. Later, with determination, I began to practice.”

Lingesh, who initially participated in taluk and district-level para sports meets was given an opportunity to participate in the Indian Masters Athletics for the physically challenged at Hyderabad in February 2017. Lingesh, who took part in this meet and played Shot Put, Discus Throw, bagged two gold and one silver medal thus bringing laurels to Mysuru District.

Lingesh, who wanted to do big in international events, participated in the International Para Athletic Championship, organised by Nepal Paralympics Committee at Kathmandu in Oct. 2017 and bagged the second place in Shot Put and Javelin Throw events to bring laurels to the country. He later participated in the National-level Wheelchair Willow Championship held in Bengaluru in Dec. 2017 and the Karnataka team bagged the third place.

Lingesh is working as Madapura Gram Panchayat Rural Rehabilitation activist and is involved in creating awareness about various schemes by the government for the specially-abled. Son of M.L. Lakshman and D. Kamalamma couple, Lingesh, who studied up to SSLC, had discontinued his studies. He later set up a cycle shop and an STD booth to earn a living. He  now gets Rs. 3,000 as monthly honorarium from the Gram Panchayat where he is working as an activist.

Lingesh, married to Puttalakshmi of the taluk in 2002, is leading a happy life with his wife and three children.