Suyash Jadhav

When it comes to sporting role models, Suyash did not have to look further than his own family. His father had been a national level swimmer and was one of the primary inspirations behind Suyash developing an affinity for the sport at a very young age. In class 6, Suyash suffered accidental electrocution at a construction site while he was playing with his friends, and subsequently, both his arms had to be amputated. In times of hardship and adversity, his passion for swimming would emerge as his sanctuary. Buoyed by abundant encouragement from his family, Suyash started competing across domestic para-swimming competitions and demonstrated his immense talent and sporting ability. In 2015, he made history by becoming the first Indian para-swimmer to breach the ‘A’ qualifying mark for the 2016 Rio Paralympics and was India’s lone para-swimmer at the event. He continued this momentum by winning three silver medals at the 2016 German Swimming Championships, and two bronze medals, along with a gold medal, at the 2018 Asian Para Games. In recognition of his sporting exploits and exemplary representation of his country at international events, he was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2020. At the Tokyo Paralympics, Suyash finished 5th in his heat, narrowly missing out on qualification to the finals. It was a performance that filled him with an immense sense of determination to work harder and give a better account of himself in the coming events. At the Asian Para Games 2022, Hangzhou China Suyash won Bronze medal at the Men's 50m Butterfly - S7 event which saw him be the only indian swimmer to win an medal at a tough asian competiton.

• Sport Swimming (S7)
• Hometown Solapur, Maharashtra
• Current Training Base Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre, Bangalore