MYSURU: At four, when most children were jumping and jumping, Shilpa KS lost her left leg in a road accident. His family could not afford treatment, or even a wheelchair.More than three decades ago, the girl from Kanchugara Koppalu village in KR Nagar taluk completed a remarkable journey to the Commonwealth podium, winning bronze in the women’s shot put F57 at the Glasgow Games on Monday.Shilpa did a personal best throw of 7.26m. She initially finished fourth, but the Indian contingent successfully protested against Nigerian Eucharia Iyiazi’s 8.19m effort, which was declared valid. After a review, the officials ruled the throw a foul, elevating Shilpa to the bronze-medal position.The medal concludes a remarkable story of resilience. Born in a farming family, Shilpa grew up not knowing that para sport existed. Curious glances and insensitive words were part of everyday life, but her parents made sure she completed her education despite their limited means.The sport entered her life only in 2019. Then working as a Kannada teacher, Shilpa was introduced to the sport by her fellow bus commuter. She initially excelled in sitting volleyball before former India para-volleyball player and coach Raghavendra SG saw her potential and persuaded her to switch to athletics.The transition required great sacrifice. Shilpa juggled coaching with grueling training sessions before finally quitting her job to pursue sports full-time. Under coach SD Eeshan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, he became one of India’s promising para throwers.He won silver and bronze in an international meet in Thailand, got a national shot put medal in Goa and won gold in the 2025 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi. Yet financial challenges persist. Shilpa continues to train with a basic Jaipur Foot rather than a special sports prosthesis.Speaking to TOI, an emotional Shilpa thanked everyone who stood by her. “Years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice are finally paying off,” he said.