Mariyappan Thangavelu has become the first Indian to stand on the highest position in podium, in Rio de Janerio, this summer. He has led us to believe that no hurdle is high enough to be unclimbable through his feat of clearing a height of 1.89 meters. Having achieved this no ordinary feat, his profile definetely deserves a read. Here are 5 interesting things to know about Mariyappan Thangavelu.
The unfortunate incident
When he was aged 5, a bus ran over his right leg crushing it below knee. This has left him with a permanent disability in life.
“I was told the driver was inebriated,” he said to the newspaper The Hindu. He further added that “It doesn’t matter. My right leg is now stunted — it is still a five-year-old’s leg; it has never grown or healed.”