10 yrs after beating paralysis, 16-year-old wins 2 rowing medals in nat’l competition
Times of India | 3 August 2026
Kolkata: A class 10 student of La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata, Aarav Agarwal (16), has won two medals at the First Para National Rowing Championship in Pune, marking another milestone in a sporting journey shaped by resilience and discipline.
Representing West Bengal, Agarwal won gold in the under-23 PR3 rowing event and bronze in the open-age PR3 indoor rowing category. The medals follow his gold at the Paris Para Regatta last year and place him among India’s promising young para rowers. Agarwal was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological condition, at the age of six. The illness left him paralysed.
“He was on a ventilator for six weeks. Thereafter, he was admitted to a hospital for a year, undergoing treatment. Doctors had said he would survive but would not be able to hold a pen or go to school. But he has proved them, and everyone else, wrong. Though he continues to live with a permanent foot drop, he attends a regular school. He has taken up a physically demanding sport like rowing, which requires strength, endurance and technique,” said Aarav’s father, Uttam.
Aarav took up rowing three years ago. West Bengal Rowing Association president Subhasis Mukherjee said, “He is one of the first para rowers in the state. Most para rowers are usually those who were regular rowers but became disabled after an accident. Aarav’s case is different. Since he is so young, he should achieve great things.”
Agarwal trains at Bengal Rowing Club. “I start my day around 4.30 am. I leave for Bengal Rowing Club around 5.30 am and start my training with stretching and mobility exercises. I then row 8 km on the water, followed by a short session on the rowing ergometer. After recovery exercises and stretching, I get ready and go to school. After school, I go directly to the gym for strength and conditioning,” Agarwal said.
Aarav wants to represent India at the Paralympics, promote para rowing and show that sport and studies can go together. He also hosts The Able Mic, a podcast featuring para athletes and changemakers, to spread the message that disability should never limit dreams.
I want to reach a stage where I can inspire younger athletes. I also want to be an engineer. I believe I can achieve success in both my sporting and professional journey