Deepa Malik Biography:

Braving Chest-below paralysis and spinal tumour treatment for almost 20 years; Deepa is on a mission – Ability Beyond Disability. She is an international sportsperson par excellence and recipient of Five Prestigious President of India Awards & honours – Padma Shri (Ministry of Home Affairs); Arjuna Award (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports); President’s National Role Model Award (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment); Women Transforming India Award (NITI Aayog, United Nations India & MyGov) and 'First Ladies Award' (Ministry of Women & Child Development) as well as 5 state governments’ honours.

In recognition of her efforts, Dr. (h.c.) Deepa Malik has been selected as the Sir Edmund Hillary Prime Minister’s Fellow for New Zealand for 2019 by PM Jacinda Ardern, to strengthen bilateral friendly relations between the people of India and New Zealand. She is a motivational speaker who has been conferred the International Human Rights Council’s ‘Exceptional Speaker Award’, among many other prestigious awards and recognitions to her name. She holds Four Limca World Records in the Adventure Category, she is the first woman to represent the country at international level sports in her category of disability (F-53). She is also the first ever Indian paraplegic woman swimmer, biker and car rallyist.

With a count of 23 international medals and 68 national & state level medals in swimming, javelin, shotput & discus events, she has been listed as one of the 10 most inspirational women para-athletes of the world by International Paralympic Committee. She has been ranked as one of the top 10 Asian Women Leaders in 2017 by the Great Asia Women Achievers Awards 2017. Deepa Malik has created history by becoming the first ever Indian female Para athlete to win an Asian Games medal in athletics as well as the first ever female World Championship medal. She is also India's first ever female Paralympic Medallist across any sport. She has created history by becoming the only Indian woman athlete ever to win medals at 3 successive Asian Games and retain the Asian Record in Javelin throw throughout the years. She also holds a world record in open river swimming for swimming across the Yamuna River for 1km against the current. She is the first Indian to receive the International Women’s Day Recognition from the International Paralympic Committee (awarded each year to one woman from all over the world), for her contribution to advancing disability sports for women in India.

Deepa is also a record holder in driving customised cars & motorbikes; she became the first ever physically challenged person (man or woman) in the world to get a rally licence to compete in the ‘Raid-de-Himalaya’ car rally on the world's highest motorable roads. Deepa Malik has created yet another record by doing a pan-India drive to promote para-sports in the country and spread the message of Ability Beyond Disability. Dr.(h.c.) Deepa Malik has been awarded Honoris Causa Doctorate by ITM University, India in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the fields of sports and adventure sports in India; and another Honoris Causa Doctorate by Raffles University, India in recognition of her contribution to social work.

Deepa contributed immensely towards better sports policies for physically challenged in her role as a member of the Working Group for the Formulation of 12th Five Year Plan (2012 – 2017). Deepa works closely with the government to implement progressive & inclusive policies. She is the 'Clean India' brand ambassador for New Delhi Municipal Corporation and expert consultant for Disability Inclusive Accessible Infrastructure for Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ‘Smart Cities’ project.

As the founder of Wheeling Happiness Foundation, she has taken up the cause of enhancing the emotional health of persons with challenges and empowering women through outdoor sports, motor sports and adventure activities and also assisting the training and sports equipment requirements of para sports persons. The foundation also enables persons from lower socio – economic strata as well as running disability sports awareness & advocacy sessions at various schools and colleges. The foundation has provided more than 500 mobility aiding devices. She also provides disability sensitization training to airline staff. Deepa Malik has assisted many physically challenged persons to learn driving & sports and hence live a more self – reliant life.