Palesha Goverdhan

Started: She took up Para taekwondo in 2014 and began competing internationally at age 13 in 2017. (paralympic.org, 23 Dec 2022; ekantipur.com, 05 Sep 2021) Reason: She impressed coach Umesh Saud, who suggested to her parents that she make the transition to Para taekwondo. "I came to taekwondo unexpectedly. Martial arts began as an extracurricular activity at our school. I chose martial arts because it resonated more with my nature. I remember kicking higher, punching harder and giving my all to impress my teacher." (kathmandupost.com, 01 Apr 2024; ekantipur.com, 05 Sep 2021) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (kathmandupost.com, 18 Mar 2024) Milestones: She became the first taekwondo athlete representing Nepal to win a medal at the Asian Para Games when she claimed bronze in the K44 -57kg category at the 2022 Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Apr 2024; hamrokhelkud.net, 24 Oct 2023) She became the first athlete to represent Nepal in taekwondo at the Paralympic Games when she competed at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Apr 2024; Paralympic Games Facebook page, 13 Apr 2022) She was the youngest taekwondo competitor from any NPC at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, at age 18 years and 40 days. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: She was Nepal's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) In 2023 she was named Best Para Athlete by the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum. (nepalnews.com, 07 Mar 2023) She was named Best Para Athlete at the 2022 Nepal National and International Players' Association [NNIPA] Sports Awards. (insidethegames.biz, 11 Apr 2022) She was Nepal's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Nepal Taekwondo Association Facebook page, 24 Aug 2021) Additional Info: RENEWED MOTIVATION Ahead of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she was disqualified at a Paralympic qualifying event, but she went on to compete at the Games thanks to a Bipartite Commission invitation. She lost in the -58kg bronze medal match in Tokyo, and this combined with the impact of taekwondo on her architecture studies led her to consider quitting the sport. She regained motivation after winning a gold medal at the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games in Manama, Bahrain. "I figured I'd give it one last go and then I won the medal at the Asian Youth Para Games. Now [speaking in 2022] taekwondo has made a big change in my life." (kathmandupost.com, 01 Apr 2024; paralympic.org, 23 Dec 2022)