Paralympian Sheetal Devi Drives Custom-Built Mahindra Scorpio-N With Her Feet [Video]
A lot of people often underestimate the capabilities of disabled people and think that without assistance they won't be able to live a normal life. However, there are a number of disabled athletes who have proved that their capabilities exceed far beyond a lot of normal people. Of these athletes, one is Sheetal Devi. She is a Paralympian archer who, last year at the 2024 Paralympics, won a bronze medal. Recently, she shared a video in which she was seen driving her Mahindra Scorpio-N.
The video showing Sheetal Devi driving her Mahindra Scorpio-N with her feet has been shared on Instagram by her official handle. In this short video, captioned “Took the driver's seat for a while, loving every moment of it. Never say never,” we can note that the actress was sitting in the driver's seat of her Mahindra Scorpio-N.
We can see the Paralympian archer controlling the steering wheel of her SUV with her feet. The vehicle was driven through snowy mountains and densely fogged roads. This particular vehicle has been customized for Sheetal Devi to make sure that it can be driven by her with her feet, as she was born with a congenital disorder called phocomelia, which causes underdeveloped limbs.
Anand Mahindra gifted this Mahindra Scorpio-N
This custom Mahindra Scorpio-N was gifted to the Paralympian archer by Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group. The handover ceremony was especially heartwarming, as after taking delivery of the vehicle, she met Anand Mahindra. She gifted the billionaire chairman an arrow, which was highly appreciated by him.
Anand Mahindra had shared the images in a post stating, “I have long admired @archersheetal’s talent from afar. Meeting her in person, I was struck by her remarkable determination, tenacity, and focus. Speaking to her mother and sister, it was clear that it runs in the family!”
He added, “She gifted me an arrow, a symbol of her identity as an archer, unbound by any limitations. Truly priceless! Sheetal is an inspiration to us all, and I am proud to see her in a Scorpio-N, a fitting steed for her as she continues to rise to new heights.”
Sheetal Devi took delivery of her Mahindra Scorpio-N, finished in Napoli Black. It is the top-of-the-line Z8L variant. The exact engine option of her SUV is unknown.
Gifted SUVs to other Paralympians
In addition to Sheetal Devi, Anand Mahindra also gifted SUVs to other Paralympic athletes from India. The list includes Avani Lekhara for her performance in the 10m air rifle standing event at the Tokyo Paralympics 2021. She received a gold and a bronze medal at the event, after which she was given a custom-made XUV700.
Apart from her, Anand Mahindra also gifted a custom XUV700 to Sumit Antil. Sumit broke the world record thrice in five throws at the Tokyo Paralympics and won a gold medal for it. Lastly, Paralympian Deepa Malik also received a custom Mahindra XUV700, which was made wheelchair-accessible for her by the company.
The list of other athletes who have received SUVs from Anand Mahindra and Mahindra Group includes Olympic star Neeraj Chopra; cricketers Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, T. Natarajan, Navdeep Saini, and Washington Sundar; PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, and Dutee Chand. Chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa also received a Mahindra XUV400 EV.