Rubina Francis won bronze in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 final at the Paris Paralympics 2024, securing India's fifth medal. Read her inspiring story of resilience and triumph.
India bagged its fifth medal on the third day of the Athletics Paralympics. Rubina Francis won the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 final. Despite being in seventh place in the qualification round, she delivered a powerful performance in the final. Rubina secured the fourth medal for India in shooting, following Avani Lekhara, Mona, and Manish Narwal.
Achievements
25-year-old Rubina was in seventh place with a score of 556 in the qualification round. But her persistence paid off in the end, and she managed to secure a spot among the top three shooters. Three years ago, she was also in seventh place in the qualifying round of the Tokyo Paralympics. However, she couldn't make it to the top three then. This time, she left the Tokyo defeat behind to achieve remarkable success.
Who is Rubina Francis?
Hailing from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Rubina Francis has been differently-abled since birth. She was born with talipes. It is a condition where a baby’s foot is twisted and turned inward. Her father, Simon Francis, worked as a bike mechanic. The family's financial situation was dire. Due to this, Rubina had to face financial crises along with the challenges posed by her physical disabilities.
Shooting career
Despite numerous hardships, Rubina started her shooting career in 2014. She participated in a trial camp at the Gagan Narang Shooting Academy in Jabalpur, organized by St Aloysius School. She scored 47 and was selected for 15 days of training, which later extended to a year.
Facing challenges
Just as Rubina's life was getting on track, tragedy struck the family. Jabalpur Municipal Corporation demolished her father Simon's bike repair shop on Gwarighat Road, which was their sole source of income. The family even struggled to afford food and faced hunger.
MP State Shooting Academy
This incident severely impacted Rubina's training. It became difficult to manage her training expenses. Her father started repairing bikes door-to-door to support the family. However, his efforts were insufficient. Rubina's brother, Alexander, started working alongside his studies. Still, they couldn't afford her academy fees, forcing Rubina to drop out. She then got admission to the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal and showcased her talent in Bangkok. She has won 6 gold and 1 silver medal in national-level competitions and participated in several international tournaments. She was the youngest shooter to participate in an international event in Dubai.
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