Mariyappan Thangavelu

Born: 28 June 1995

• He is an Indian Paralympic high jumper.
• He represented India in the 2016 Summer Paralympic games held in Rio de Janeiro in the men’s high jump T-42 category, winning the gold medal in the finals.
• He is India’s first Paralympian gold medalist since 2004.
• On 25 January 2017, the Government of India announced the “Padma Shri” award for his contribution towards sports, and in the same year, he was also awarded Arjuna Award.
• He enjoyed playing volleyball as a student; subsequently, his school physical education instructor encouraged him to try high jumping.
• In his first competitive event, aged 14, he placed second among a field of able-bodied competitors, after which he received strong encouragement from his classmates and others in Salem district.
• In 2013, his current coach Mr.Satyanarayana, supported by the Sports academy of India for differently-abled, first noticed his performance at the Indian national para-athletics championships, and formally took him on as a student in 2015, bringing him to Bengaluru for further coaching.

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