A Vegetable Seller, a Single Mother and a Farm Boy: SBI Life’s ‘Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye’ Acknowledges the Aspirations of Para Athletes

This article has been published in partnership with SBI Life Insurance.

SBI Life Insurance believes in liberating individuals to pursue their aspirations while taking care of their loved ones. This belief is reflected in its core brand philosophy, ‘Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye’. At Glasgow 2026, the journeys of India’s para-athletes brought this philosophy to life, showing how the support of family, coaches and those who stand beside us can make the difference between a dream and a medal.

“When I had a polio attack, people forgot that my name was Avinash Kumar. They started calling me Jhandu Kumar, and many laughed at me.”

For years, Jhandu sold vegetables by the roadside. Whenever he found time, he would borrow a phone and teach himself bodybuilding through YouTube. There was no gym, no formal training and no coach — only a boy who refused to give up on the dream of becoming an athlete.

But Jhandu’s journey was never his alone. His family supported his ambition, local coaches recognised his potential, and eventually, a national coach gave his talent the direction it needed.

At Glasgow 2026, that journey culminated in a Commonwealth bronze medal.

For Sharmila Dhankar, sport became a way to reclaim a part of herself.

“Since childhood, every person dreams of achieving something in life. Some achieve it through academics, while others find success in different fields. It took me 40 years to reach this point. And receiving this medal has given me a new direction in life.”

For decades, Sharmila put everyone else first — through a difficult marriage and while raising her two daughters on her own. Somewhere along the way, she picked up shot put and found something that was entirely her own.

At 40, she made history by winning India’s first-ever para-athletic gold at the Commonwealth Games.

And for Dilip Mahadu Gavit, running began with something much simpler: a childhood love.

After losing his right arm in a tree-fall accident at the age of five, Dilip grew up working on farms with one arm. But he never stopped running.

When he eventually left his small village and came to the city to run, a coach noticed his speed and invited him to train.

“I have loved running since childhood. When I came from my small village to the city to run, my coach saw me and asked me to come for training. He said, ‘Come and train. We will see what you can do.’”

That coach gave Dilip more than training. He brought him from his village and gave him a place to stay in his own home.

“Whatever I am today is because of my guru. He brought me from my village and kept me in his own home.”

At Glasgow 2026, Dilip repaid that faith by winning a record-breaking gold.

Three athletes. Three very different journeys. Yet their stories share something powerful: none of them reached the podium alone.

Behind Jhandu was a family and coaches who saw an athlete beyond his circumstances. Behind Sharmila was the courage to make space for her own aspirations while carrying the responsibilities of her family. And behind Dilip was a coach who saw potential, opened his home and allowed a young runner to dream bigger.

How SBI Life acknowledges dreams

This is where SBI Life Insurance’s ‘Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye’ comes to life.

The philosophy is built around a simple but powerful idea: our aspirations may be our own, but the journeys that take us towards them are often shaped by the people who stand beside us.

SBI Life’s partnership with the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) reflects this belief — supporting para-athletes as they pursue excellence, push beyond limitations, and chase bigger dreams.

That commitment extends beyond the partnership itself. On 7 September, SBI Life brought together para-athletes at a felicitation event in Delhi, attended by SBI Life’s leadership. The event reflected the brand’s larger commitment to supporting para-athletes at the grassroots — not simply as a financial services provider, but as a partner invested in their journeys, aspirations and pursuit of excellence. 

At the event, Amit Jhingram, MD & CEO, SBI Life Insurance, shared, “When the athletes are pursuing their dreams, they put in a lot of hard work with a lot of determination, but it is not only their hard work. It is also the support that their families, their coaches, and their entire ecosystem provide to them. And this is what gels with the philosophy of SBI Life. This is truly “Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye.”

For athletes like Jhandu, Sharmila, Dilip and four others – Shilpa Shyla, Mohammed Basil, Soman Rana, Shubham Juyal, a medal represents far more than a moment on the podium. It carries the faith of families, the guidance of coaches, and the support of people who chose to believe in their potential.

And that is what makes their victories bigger than individual achievements.

“For SBI Life, these athletes are ‘Anokhe Heere’. It is a recognition of their achievement, of their success and their story. It’s about their determination. It is about their sacrifice,” said Ravindra Sharma, EVP and Chief of Brand, Corporate Communications and CSR, SBI Life Insurance.

The partnership culminated in Japan

But these stories of resilience extended far beyond Glasgow.

In October, India’s para-athletes competed at the Asian Para Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, bringing a remarkable diversity of experiences from serving in the Indian Army and overcoming life-altering injuries to navigating financial hardships and rediscovering confidence through sport.

Despite their vast & different journeys, one thing remained constant: an unwavering determination to pursue their dreams, often strengthened by the support of people and institutions who believe in their potential. This determination resulted in a record-breaking haul of 114 medals for the Indian contingent in Japan. 

It is this belief in the power of individual aspirations — and in the people who help make them possible — that lies at the heart of SBI Life Insurance’s ‘Apne Liye, Apno Ke Liye’ philosophy.

Through this partnership, SBI Life acknowledged the achievements of India’s para-athletes, recognising not just the laurels they brought to the nation, but also the resilience, determination and collective support that made these accomplishments possible.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com