India has won its first Gold medal at the ongoing Rio Paralympic Games. Mariyappan Thangavelu brought laurels to the country as he finished first in the Men's High Jump T-42 event to give India its overall third Gold at the Games and the first after 12 years. AIR correspondent reports, destiny was cruel to a five year old boy Mariappan Thangavelu from Salem Periavadagampatti when he lost his right leg as a bus crushed it. The future was bleak for the poor boy whose mother was in penury. The tales of hardship where the family had to suffer for treatment and even for food have become part of folklore now. The boy braving his Divyang studied up to BBA and then found that there is sporting talent in him. Athletic coach Satyanarayana identified his talent in 2013 during the National Parathletic championship and gave him intensified training in Bengaluru. Mariappan studied BBA in Salem AVS College. The whole nation is celebrating the success of Mariappan Thangavelu who showed that nothing can stop youthful exuberance and perseverance.