Thulasimathi Murugesan had a birth deformity in her left hand, which allowed only 20-30 percent extension flexion, and often left her in shooting pain when a nerve flared up. Her father, an obsessive sports lover from Kancheepuram, however refused to tell her anything was wrong with her, and instead got her used to competing in badminton alongside able-bodied children, including elder sister, Kiruttigha. The sisters even won the Khelo India Under-19 district doubles titles in open category, until one day, in wincing pain while watching an international tournament four years ago, Thulasimathi screamed at the TV and demanded to know, “If I work so hard, why am I not good enough to play an international event?” The sombre answer explaining her condition would jolt her awake and the clarity gave her a direction. Having grown up in desperate poverty, where their home, a straw hut, got burnt down in a fire, and all their father’s daily wages were saved up for nutrition for the two girls, she was determined to get herself classified in para-badminton, …