It seemed as though para shot putter Sharmila Dhankar bundled up all her problems over the years and put it into that one throw that saw India end a two decade-long medal drought in para athletics at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Monday night.

At 40, while most athletes are in the evening of their careers, Dhankar’s grit saw her produce her season’s best throw of 9.81m to clinch gold in the F57 category which is for athletes with lower limb impairments or limb deficiencies, or reduced muscle power. But Dhankar’s story is as dramatic off the field as it is on it. Hailing from Haryana’s Chhithroli, Dhankar’s left leg was impaired by polio at the age of two.