It is her smile that you notice first. It captivates you and ensures that your eyes don't move away from it. You don't see the wheelchair; you don't see the body paralysed chest down. You don't see the trauma of recurring spinal tumours, the frustration of an unresponsive body caging a free spirit, the countless hours of gruelling training. All you see is Deepa Malik - achiever, champion, inspiration.
Call her India's foremost para athlete with twenty-three international medals-including a silver at the 2016 Rio Paralympics-and several national awards, a recipient of the Padma Shri, the Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award, or the first Indian female paraplegic swimmer, biker and car rallyist, there's truly only one statement that defines Deepa Malik - a powerhouse of possibilities.
In Bring It On, Deepa gives readers a no-holds-barred look at her incredible life as she takes on one challenge after another, fights patriarchy and politics, and faces down the pettiness that society often reserves for the differently abled. Readers will witness first-hand what goes on in the mind of a para athlete who has survived spinal tumours thrice, chooses not to be a victim but a victor, and identifies as 'wheelchair-liberated' rather than 'wheelchair-bound'. On every page, Deepa demonstrates the power of her indomitable spirit and proves that 'impossible' is just an opinion. A memoir that will ignite and inspire people from all walks of life, no matter the challenges confronting them, Bring It On is a must-read.
