for rakshitha, that is rahul. for simran, abhay. for an athlete who is a woman and blind, and an orphan raised translation: people | would say, "she's blind. she is a waste." because what's in it for them? idyllic and very remote. of guddanahalli. this is where rakshitha raju was born. then it was only me and my grandma. speech and hearing—impaired, their disabilities meant worry or think too much. she said, "you are my little girl "and i will be with you always." each other that they were not. while at rakshitha's home, her brother helped bridge didn't have parents. neither did rakshitha. she says she doesn't want rakshitha to end up like her. rakshitha thrived on this strength. teacher in her village school, she moved to bangalore, translation: i kept asking, "how do i run, as i'm blind i "and cannot see the track?" guide runner more than myself. i have a lot of confidence in my tether. protects me when i fall. ra kshitha was lucky. she found rahul. on a track and which line they have to run. what a guide runner is. he was a middl

when a competitor is crossing in front, he has to tell them this is rahul now, but ten years back, rahul had never met an athlete with visual impairment, let alone know what a guide runner is. he was a middle—distance runner who had participated when a turn of fate brought him face—to—face with shavaad, an athlete with visual impairment in need of a guide runner. translation: i ran as a guide | runner with shavaad at the 2014 asian para games in incheon. he won a bronze medal. that is when i realised that if the athlete wins, i win a medal for the country, too. i felt proud. because there weren't many coaches for them. this is the asian games medal, which he won... a new world opened up. they ran together and won gold at the 2018 asian para games. he started coaching other girls with visual impairment and able—bodied athletes to be their guide runners. soon, he realised the challenges. translation: we can instruct able-bodied athletes _ about warm—up exercises and other drills even before but with visually impaired athletes, we have to be on the ground with them. we have to show them how