FOR most, the first steps are a milestone captured in family albums and cherished forever, but for Nagpur’s Shashruti Vinayak Nakade, those steps did not come until she turned 10. Born with a congenital deformity in her right lower and upper limbs that rendered them non-functional, the world of running, swimming and cycling seemed like a distant dream. Today, that dream hasn’t just been realised ... it has been conquered. Shashruti brought laurels to the city and the country by clinching a prestigious bronze medal at the World Triathlon Para Cup held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, recently.

 

Competing in the grueling PTS2 category on a windy course, the 22-year-old one-legged completed the 750m swim, 19km cycle and 5km run in a swift 01:30:07, marking a winning return to the global stage. “I decided to concentrate on one single phase at a time, starting with swimming, I was focused on getting through the swim phase with as much ease as I can. While on the bike, I went as hard as I could to cover up the time. Keeping control over the bike in the extremely windy conditions was a huge task but I went through the bike phase with ease. In the run, I went all out and gave my level best,” Shashruti shares her experience of Uzbekistan triathlon bronze with ‘The Hitavada’. The journey to the podium in Uzbekistan began in 2014 with a courageous decision. Having lived with a leg that was deformed below the knee and lacked a joint, Shashruti opted for amputation at a young age of 10. While the thought might be daunting for many, for young Shashruti, it was the key to freedom.

 

“I was pretty pumped up for the amputation,” she recalls. “I felt my life would be more inclusive. I knew what changes it would make and I was very excited. I actually learned to walk only after my surgery.” Starting with an Indian-made ‘Jaipur Foot’ (renowned, affordable and durable prosthetic limb) she transitioned to life with prosthetics with remarkable ease. “Many people lack the confidence to trust the leg as it is tricky to master, but I had little to no problem. The prosthetic feels more like the real leg to me now,” she says. Today, she stands as the only ‘above-knee’ amputee para-athlete in India, having started her competitive journey at Nagpur’s Kamgar Kalyan Swimming Pool before moving under Arjuna Awardee coach Prasanta Karmakar. “At first, I trained under Dr Sambhaji Bhosale, who is now the Director of Department of Physical Education and Sports, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj University; Vikram Bhosale and Rajiv Borkar at Kamgar Kalyan Swimming Pool from 2014. “Since 2017, I am guided by Arjuna Awardee coach Prasanta Karmakar,” she informs. However, the road to success was briefly derailed during the 2024 Paralympic trials. Ranked 12th in the world and eyeing a podium finish for Paris, Shashruti was forced to withdraw due to unbearable lower-back pain. It turned out her running blade was not working correctly with her body mechanics. “It was a heartbreak.

 

I was in contention for a gold medal according to my times, but I couldn’t even run 100 metres without pain,” she admits. Refusing to quit, she researched global experts and peers to find a specialised company in Colorado Springs, USA. In 2025, she travelled there to have a custom running blade designed. This new equipment became the catalyst for her comeback, the Samarkand Triathlon was its first major test. “I was scared, but more excited. I just hoped the pain wouldn’t arise out of nowhere,” she says. Even during her ‘lay-off’ period while waiting for the new blade, Shashruti’s grit was on full display. To maintain her weight, which is crucial for the perfect fit of her prosthetic socket, she turned to endurance swimming. In 2025, she completed a staggering 40km open-sea swim, across the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka and followed it up by crossing the English Channel via a relay in June. Her 2026 season has been nothing short of gold; before the Uzbekistan feat, she returned to the cycling track, winning gold at the Para Cycling Nationals in Hyderabad. She then clinched two gold medals at the Asian Cycling Championship in Saudi Arabia and two bronze medals at the World Para Cycling Cup in Thailand.

 

Currently pursuing her Masters in Psychology from Hislop College, Shashruti balances academics with a triple-session training schedule — running in the morning, indoor cycling in the afternoon, and swimming in the evening. Her mother, Usha, stays with her in Haryana to support her training, while her father, Vinayak, serves as a Forest Department official in Nagpur. Despite lack of funding, which often sees her flying into a country, racing and flying back the same night to save costs, she remains driven by her ultimate goal. “Representing India in the Paralympics is the dream. There is nothing above it,” she signs off.