Pooja Garg, from Indore, has been selected for the National Award 2025 in the category of Best Differently-Abled Person (Locomotor Disability). The award, announced by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, will be presented by the President of India at a national ceremony in

 

New Delhi in December. Pooja Garg’s journey is a story of courage, determination, and resilience. After a severe spinal cord injury in 2010 left her paralysed from the waist down, she underwent 13 major surgeries and years of rehabilitation. Despite facing cancer later, she emerged as an international para-athlete, winning two bronze medals for India at the 2025 Asian Para Canoe Championship in Thailand.

 

In 2024, she became the first paraplegic woman to ride a motorbike to the 14,400-foot Nathula Pass, unfurling the Indian flag, a feat recorded in the World Book of Records, London. Her mission went beyond personal achievement, raising cancer awareness and advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities. Pooja also serves on UNESCO’s Safeguarding Manual for Sports

 

Advisory Group, promoting equal opportunities and safety for differently-abled athletes, and actively participates in social initiatives through her foundation, “Pankhon Ki Udaan”, empowering thousands of children, youth, and women through self-defense, awareness, and sports programs. Speaking on the award, Pooja said, “This honour is not just mine, but for every person who refused to accept ‘it cannot be done’. It belongs to every daughter and differently-abled person who dares to dream beyond limits.”