HYDERABAD: Before winning the 400m bronze in the T20 category of the Paris Paralympics on Tuesday, Deepthi Jeevanji had stunned everyone by setting the 400m world record (55.07 seconds) in the para World championships in Kobe, Japan in May. But it is what she did in between the two global sports meets that has established her status as a true champion.
Deepthi recently bought back half of the one-acre plot in Kalleda village in Warangal, her home, which her daily-wager parents had sold eight years ago to support her. The plot was the only possession of value the family had. Gifting the plot back was her way of thanking her parents for not giving up on her.