Leani Ratri Oktila

Started: She began playing non-Para badminton at age seven. She joined the national Para badminton team in 2013. (jaringanmedia.co.id, 28 Oct 2019; tribunnews.com, 06 Oct 2018) Reason: She competed in non-Para badminton at national level prior to her accident. Her family encouraged her to keep pursuing the sport. "I have been an athlete since 1999. At the beginning I was in the non-Para events. When I saw the first wheelchair badminton player on the court, I realised that there were people struggling harder. So, I thought I could play again and fight harder." (grid.id, 12 Oct 2018) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (BWF Facebook page, 29 Dec 2021) Milestones: She became the first Para badminton player to win three Paralympic medals when she won two gold and a silver on the sport's debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. She was the only badminton player to win three medals at the 2020 Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: She and mixed doubles partner Hikmat Ramdhani were named Para Badminton Pair of the Year for 2023 by the Badminton World Federation [BWF]. (Badminton World Federation Facebook page, 01 Mar 2024) In the 2020/21 season she was named Female Para Badminton Player of the Year by the Badminton World Federation [BWF]. She won the same title for 2018 and 2019. (BWF Facebook page, 29 Dec 2021; Badminton Asia Facebook page, 03 Dec 2021; cnnindonesia.com, 10 Dec 2019; paralympic.org, 01 May 2019) She and Indonesian Para badminton player Khalimatus Sadiyah were named Favourite Women's Doubles in the Para sports category at the 2018 Indonesian Sports Awards in Jakarta. (bola.kompas.com, 24 Nov 2018) Additional Info: MOTHERHOOD She decided to take a break from competitive sport after the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo to focus on her family. She returned to competition at the 2022 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, after giving birth to her son Elvano in July the same year. "Motherhood has changed me. All I think about is the baby and how he's doing. I barely get any time to rest at home because even when I'm training, I'm always thinking about the baby. I'm not getting enough rest these days. I have a lot of work to do to get back to the way I was and that includes losing some of the weight I put on after having my baby." (bwfbadminton.com, 09 May 2023; olympics.bwfbadminton.com, 03 Nov 2022; antaranews.com, 06 Aug 2022) ORANGE HEADBAND She likes to wear an orange headband while playing badminton. "I remember a Japanese journalist asked me, 'Why do you always wear that headband? Is it like your lucky charm?' I spontaneously answered, 'Yes, this is my lucky charm'. Well, the truth is my mother likes to wear headbands. I was simply wearing what she wore growing up. But, I'm also uncomfortable when these tiny hairs are on the sides while I'm playing, so the headband comes in handy. Once someone asked if I never changed that headband. Well, now [speaking in 2020] I have four of the same colours. Nothing fancy, I bought them at a night market." (indosport.com, 09 Jun 2020) IN BETWEEN MATCHES She is used to playing multiple matches on the same day and likes to rest in the toilet between matches. "I can play up to six matches a day. When the other players could go straight back to their home or hotel, I was still on the court. I often bring mats, pillows, and more clothes. Also, I like to sleep on the toilet. I just lock it. I could sleep up to three hours and wake up feeling fresh. Before I left I usually told my officials and coaches to look for me at one of the toilets." (indosport.com, 10 Jun 2020) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied for a master's degree in Indonesian language at Veteran Bangun Nusantara University in Sukoharjo, Indonesia. (Instagram profile, 01 Jun 2020; univetbantara.ac.id, 21 Dec 2017)