19 surgeries, 66 medals: India’s para-swimmer Niranjan Mukundan

Mukundan was born with an incomplete formation of the spinal cord. That did not stop him from winning.

India’s para-swimmer Niranjan Mukundan was born with spina bifida, an incomplete formation of the spinal cord. This meant 19 surgeries, missed school and lying in recovery for months. At the age of seven, Mukundan was advised to swim as aqua therapy, allowing him to fight his way to victories against the choppy waters of life.