{"id":6264,"date":"2015-12-12T12:52:39","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T07:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.barusahib.org\/?p=6264"},"modified":"2025-03-10T13:29:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T07:59:24","slug":"rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/","title":{"rendered":"Rajinder Singh Rahelu &#8211; The Sikh Powerlifter Who Conquered Polio to Win Commonwealth Silver"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/#Overcoming_Polio_%E2%80%93_A_Determined_Beginning\" >Overcoming Polio &#8211; A Determined Beginning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/#A_Journey_of_Strength_and_Determination\" >A Journey of Strength and Determination<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/#The_Beginning_of_a_Powerlifting_Career\" >The Beginning of a Powerlifting Career<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/#International_Success_and_a_Historic_Win\" >International Success and a Historic Win<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/#A_Mentor_for_Future_Athletes\" >A Mentor for Future Athletes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/rajinder-singh-rahelu-the-sikh-powerlifter-who-conquered-polio-to-win-commonwealth-silver\/#A_Story_of_Unstoppable_Grit\" >A Story of Unstoppable Grit<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overcoming_Polio_%E2%80%93_A_Determined_Beginning\"><\/span>Overcoming Polio &#8211; A Determined Beginning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Rajinder Singh Rahelu was just eight months old when he contracted polio, leaving him unable to walk. Despite this challenge, he refused to let his disability define his future. His dedication and perseverance paved the way for his remarkable achievements in powerlifting.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Journey_of_Strength_and_Determination\"><\/span>A Journey of Strength and Determination<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Born on July 22, 1973, in Jalandhar, Punjab, Rahelu grew up in a financially struggling family. His father worked as a bandmaster, while his mother was a maid. The youngest of five siblings, he decided to leave his studies after high school and focus on his passion.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Beginning_of_a_Powerlifting_Career\"><\/span>The Beginning of a Powerlifting Career<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In 1996, a friend encouraged him to try powerlifting. He started with 75 kg but, with relentless training, increased his strength to 115 kg in just six months. His first major win came in 1997 at the Punjab Open Meet, followed by the National Powerlifting Championship in 1998, which boosted his career.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"International_Success_and_a_Historic_Win\"><\/span>International Success and a Historic Win<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Rahelu\u2019s determination led him to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2004 Summer Paralympics:<\/strong> Bronze medal in the 56 kg category.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2008 Summer Paralympics (Beijing):<\/strong> Ranked fifth.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2012 Summer Paralympics (London):<\/strong> Faced setbacks but remained resilient.<\/li>\n<li><strong>2014 Commonwealth Games (Glasgow):<\/strong> Created history by lifting 180.5 kg and winning a silver medal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Mentor_for_Future_Athletes\"><\/span>A Mentor for Future Athletes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Recognizing his dedication, the Punjab government appointed him as a coach at the Punjab Sports Department. He now trains specially-abled powerlifters in Gohawar village, inspiring a new generation of athletes.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Story_of_Unstoppable_Grit\"><\/span>A Story of Unstoppable Grit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Manjit Singh from Ramgarhia College recalls how Rahelu, despite his disability, used his hands to move around, demonstrating unmatched determination. His journey continues to inspire millions, proving that no challenge is too great when faced with passion and hard work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More power to Rajinder Singh Rahelu!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overcoming Polio &#8211; A Determined Beginning Rajinder Singh Rahelu was just eight months old when he contracted polio, leaving him unable to walk. Despite this challenge, he refused to let his disability define his future. His dedication and perseverance paved the way for his remarkable achievements in powerlifting. A Journey of Strength and Determination Born [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SIKH-who-Defied-Polio-To-Grab-A-Silver-Medal-At-The-Commonwealth-Games.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-6264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6266,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6264\/revisions\/6266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6264"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barusahib.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=6264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}