Gurgaon’s Deepa Malik has won numerous accolades and honours in her career as a para-athlete, the chief of them being the tag of India’s most effective feminine Paralympic medallist. However, the one alternative which her daughter Devika beat her to used to be speaking in front of over 50 world leaders and heads of state. The Gurgaon woman got this uncommon alternative when she used to be some of the two kids, selected from around the Commonwealth, who spoke on the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 in London on April 19. The assembly used to be attended via the heads of state/executive of the 53-member international locations of the Commonwealth, together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in addition to Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth, and contributors of the royal family, together with Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Devika, herself a para-athlete and an activist, got this chance after having been a recipient of the Queen’s Young Leaders Award. In 2015, Devika used to be some of the 15 inaugural winners of the award for her work for persons with physical, emotional and social challenges in India.
Para-athlete Devika Malik speaking on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 in London
Devika says, “I run an NGO referred to as Wheeling Happiness, which works towards social inclusion via sports. It used to be because of the work done via this NGO that I used to be honoured via the Queen in 2015. In four years, the Commonwealth selected 60 winners for this award, and this yr, two people had been selected to talk on the opening ceremony of the summit.” Devika used to be born with hemiplegia, which causes paralysis to at least one facet of the frame. In her career as a para-athlete, Devika won 3 medals on the IPC Athletics Grand Prix, and more than one golds in the National Paralympic Games between 2010 and 2015.
In 2015, Devika used to be some of the 15 inaugural winners of Queen’s Young Leaders Award for her work for persons with physical, emotional and social challenges in India
Talking about the experience, the 27-year-old, who is these days pursuing PhD from UK’s Loughborough University, says, “What makes the feat superb is that in the 45-minute opening ceremony, there were most effective six speeches, together with one each and every via the Queen, the British Prime Minister, the PM of Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretary General. Apart from those, it used to be me and a fellow Queen’s Young Leaders Award winner from Sierra Leone who got the opportunity to talk in front of the august amassing.”
Devika says that since the speech used to be scheduled to be most effective two minutes lengthy, she attempted to be actual and to the point in what she had to say. “I assumed, if I got frightened or over excited, I would be doing injustice to the opportunity that I have been given, and likewise throw away a possibility to talk up for the differently-abled other people,” she says. Keeping in tune with the theme of the summit – Towards a Common Future – Devika spoke about the want for together with the differently-abled and the disenfranchised in the governments’ insurance policies and goals for the longer term. And whilst she used to be initially daunted via the possibility of speaking in front of over 50 world leaders, the 27-year-old held her nerve. She says, “I used to be extra frightened all through the two-day get dressed rehearsals than all through the real speech. At that time, I realized that it used to be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative, so it used to be my responsibility to ship it completely.”
Devika, herself a para-athlete and an activist, got this chance after having been a recipient of the Queen’s Young Leaders Award. In 2015, Devika used to be some of the 15 inaugural winners of the award for her work for persons with physical, emotional and social challenges in India.
Para-athlete Devika Malik speaking on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 in London
Devika says, “I run an NGO referred to as Wheeling Happiness, which works towards social inclusion via sports. It used to be because of the work done via this NGO that I used to be honoured via the Queen in 2015. In four years, the Commonwealth selected 60 winners for this award, and this yr, two people had been selected to talk on the opening ceremony of the summit.” Devika used to be born with hemiplegia, which causes paralysis to at least one facet of the frame. In her career as a para-athlete, Devika won 3 medals on the IPC Athletics Grand Prix, and more than one golds in the National Paralympic Games between 2010 and 2015.
In 2015, Devika used to be some of the 15 inaugural winners of Queen’s Young Leaders Award for her work for persons with physical, emotional and social challenges in India
Talking about the experience, the 27-year-old, who is these days pursuing PhD from UK’s Loughborough University, says, “What makes the feat superb is that in the 45-minute opening ceremony, there were most effective six speeches, together with one each and every via the Queen, the British Prime Minister, the PM of Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretary General. Apart from those, it used to be me and a fellow Queen’s Young Leaders Award winner from Sierra Leone who got the opportunity to talk in front of the august amassing.”
Devika says that since the speech used to be scheduled to be most effective two minutes lengthy, she attempted to be actual and to the point in what she had to say. “I assumed, if I got frightened or over excited, I would be doing injustice to the opportunity that I have been given, and likewise throw away a possibility to talk up for the differently-abled other people,” she says. Keeping in tune with the theme of the summit – Towards a Common Future – Devika spoke about the want for together with the differently-abled and the disenfranchised in the governments’ insurance policies and goals for the longer term. And whilst she used to be initially daunted via the possibility of speaking in front of over 50 world leaders, the 27-year-old held her nerve. She says, “I used to be extra frightened all through the two-day get dressed rehearsals than all through the real speech. At that time, I realized that it used to be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative, so it used to be my responsibility to ship it completely.”
Gurgaon para-athlete’s ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ of addressing Commonwealth heads in London
![Gurgaon para-athlete’s ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ of addressing Commonwealth heads in London]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
May 03, 2018
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