Deepa Malik (born 30 September 1970) is an Indian para-athlete who became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympic Games, taking silver in the shot put at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Paralysed from the chest down since surgery for a spinal tumour in 1999, she took up sport in her mid-thirties and won medals in swimming, javelin, discus and shot put. She received the Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, in 2019 and later served as president of the Paralympic Committee of India.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Deepa Malik |
| Born | 30 September 1970, Bhaiswal, Sonipat district, Haryana, India |
| Age | 56 |
| Sport | Para athletics (shot put, javelin, discus); earlier swimming |
| Classification | F53 |
| Paralympic medal | Silver, shot put F53 (Rio 2016) |
| Spouse | Colonel Bikram Singh Malik |
| Children | 2 (Devika and Ambika) |
| Honours | Arjuna Award (2012), Padma Shri (2017), Khel Ratna (2019) |
Early Life
Malik was born in Haryana into an army family; her father was an infantry colonel. A spinal tumour was found when she was a child and treated, and she recovered after long physiotherapy. She married Bikram Singh Malik, a cavalry officer, and they had two daughters. Her elder daughter, Devika, was left with partial paralysis after a road accident as a baby.
Paralysis and a New Start
In 1999 the tumour returned. Malik underwent three operations, with 183 stitches between her shoulder blades, and was left paralysed from the chest down. Her husband was away fighting in the Kargil War at the time. Refusing to be confined to her home, she started a restaurant and took up swimming to build her strength.
Sporting Career
Malik began competing in swimming at 36 and won national medals. In 2008 she swam a kilometre against the current in the Yamuna river. A keen motorcyclist before her paralysis, she learned to drive specially adapted vehicles, took part in the Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm rallies, and drove across some of the highest motorable passes in Ladakh. She holds several entries in the Limca Book of Records.
She switched to throwing events and won bronze in the javelin at the 2010 Asian Para Games and silver in the shot put at the 2011 World Championships. At the Rio Paralympics on 12 September 2016, aged 45, she threw 4.61 metres to win silver in the F53 shot put. She added javelin gold at the 2018 Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai and two bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Para Games.
Malik retired from competition and was elected president of the Paralympic Committee of India in 2020. Under her leadership India won a record 19 medals at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Personal Life
Her younger daughter, Ambika, and Devika both work with her on the Wheeling Happiness Foundation, which supports people with disabilities. Malik is also a motivational speaker.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Deepa Malik born?
Deepa Malik was born on 30 September 1970 in Bhaiswal, Sonipat district, Haryana, India and is 56 years old.
What honours has Deepa Malik received?
Arjuna Award (2012), Padma Shri (2017), Khel Ratna (2019).
Featured image: Deepa Malik speaks at the Jaipur Literature Festival, 2025. Photo by Sriya Sarkar, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
