New Delhi, April 7 (NationPress) For Payal Nag, a quadruple amputee, her life took a transformative turn when a photograph of her artwork, created using her mouth, gained immense popularity on social media, catching the eye of coach Kuldeep Vedwan. This pivotal moment led not just to the discovery of archery, but also to a newfound sense of self-belief, discipline, and purpose.

Payal delivered an outstanding performance at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok on Saturday, triumphing over the reigning world champion Sheetal Devi, who is recognized as the world’s first female archer without limbs.

At the tender age of seven, she tragically lost all four limbs after an accident with an 11,000-volt power line in 2015. Hailing from a family of migrant laborers in Balangir, located in the eastern state of Odisha, she grew up amid skepticism and mockery regarding her future.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, her family relocated to Chhattisgarh, a central Indian state. Thanks to ongoing support from the state administration, Nag was enrolled at Parbhatigiri Balniketan, a government childcare institution designed to cater to her specific needs. It was here that she nurtured a desire to accomplish something remarkable despite her adversities. Over time, she discovered a passion for sketching portraits with her feet, achieving victories in several district-level art contests.

She initially drew images with her mouth, and one of her artworks was shared on 'X', leading to its viral success. This caught the attention of coach Kuldeep Vedwan, who reached out to her for the first time. Subsequently, he arranged for her transfer from the orphanage and visited to bring Payal to Jammu.

Payal trained alongside Paralympic medallist Sheetal Devi at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex during 2023 and 2024. Her debut competition was the National Para-Archery Championship in 2025, where she clinched the top position in the presence of numerous para-archery legends, including Sheetal and Paralympian Jyoti Baliyan.

Moreover, Payal also bested Sheetal in the Olympic round, earning the title of national champion.

In December 2025, Payal made her international debut at the Dubai 2025 Asian Youth Para Games, marking her as the world’s first quadruple amputee archer to compete on an international stage.

Earlier this year at the Indian Para Archery Championships, Nag secured second place in qualifications behind world champion and Paralympic medallist Sheetal, subsequently achieving bronze in the individual event.