Shalini Saraswathi

Infused with exceptional will power and driven with an unbeatable energy, Shalini Saraswathi is an adventure enthusiast, a blade runner, and a marathoner. A runner without any limbs who has surmounted challenges through sheer determination, her sheer presence is a reminder to audiences that winners never give excuses.

In 2012, Shalini fell victim to a rare bacterial infection, Rickettsial with morts. Over the course of a few months, she lost her baby, endured multiple organ failures and slipped into a coma. She woke up to find her limbs unresponsive and eventually lost all four to the disease.

What began as just another means to maintain fitness and general health soon turned into a passion. Shalini, supported and trained by Coach BP Aiyyappa, soon started participating in marathons. In 2017, she completed the TCS 10K marathon with a timing of 1 hour and 35 minutes. She continues to train, always committed to the goals of betterment and growth. She today is a National Silver medalist (2022) and National Gold medalist(2021) at the National Para Games, under at 100 meter sprint category, winning medals for Karnataka. She has represented the India at the Dubai Fazza Para Championship in 2021 and in Sharjah Championship in 2023. She has recently created an Asian record in T62 category running a timing of 18.04 secs.

She is a National champion for 100 meter sprinter for 2021 and 2022.

Besides her full-time corporate job as the Deputy General Manager at Firstsource Solutions, Shalini is also an avid blogger, and a public speaker who advocates for the inclusion of Persons with Disability (PwDs) on various platforms.

She is an ambassador for Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation, a non-profit promoting inclusion of PwDs through adventure sports, and is involved with Saviour of Soul, an NGO that works with rehabilitation of sex workers and their children as well as gender-based violence.

Her story and her never-say-die attitude instill motivation and determination in all who meet her. In the last few years, she has addressed audiences at a host of corporates including Walmart, Biocon, TESCO, and RR Donnelly.