Anantnag, May 6: Faiqa Gulzar, 25, who hails from Guree village in Bijbehara, is learning to live life on her own terms -something that once seemed out of reach.
On March 11, 2019, just days after finishing her 12th standard examinations, Faiqa’s life took a sudden turn when she slipped from the second floor of her home.
“I didn’t think it was something serious,” she said. “I believed I would recover and go back to normal life.”
The daughter of a retired Indian Army soldier and sister to a serving Army man, she was first taken to a local hospital and later referred to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS).
However, her brother, home on leave from the Army, later shifted her to an Army hospital in Srinagar.
“He made sure I got immediate attention,” Faiqa said. “That changed everything.”
Doctors advised urgent spinal surgery.
As the procedure was not available locally, she was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to the Army Base Hospital, where surgeons inserted two metal rods into her spine.
The reality of her condition became clear only after she returned home.
“When I saw the wheelchair, I understood,” Faiqa said. “That was the hardest moment.”
She remained bedridden for nearly three years, moving between hospitals in Delhi and Srinagar.
Alongside the physical strain, she faced remarks that left a lasting impact.
“Some would say I had become a burden,” Faiqa said. “It breaks you from inside.”
There were times, she said, when she struggled to see a way forward.
Her turning point came in 2023 with a phone call from Javaid Ahmad Tak, a Padma Shri awardee who has lived with paralysis since 1990.
Tak, who runs the ZebaAapa Institute of Inclusive Education in Bijbehara, encouraged her to step out and rebuild her life.
“He told me not to limit myself,” Faiqa said. “That gave me strength.”
Soon after, she joined the Voluntary Medical Society in Srinagar, where she was introduced to wheelchair basketball.
“At first, it was just about getting out of the house,” she said. “Then it became my passion.”
Faiqa began competing in local tournaments before moving to national events.
She is now part of the Jammu and Kashmir wheelchair basketball team and has trained in Visakhapatnam for higher-level competition.
Faiqa has also taken up wheelchair wrestling.
“Earlier, I wanted to become a teacher,” she said. “Now I want to represent my country in basketball.”
Alongside her sporting career, Faiqa has also started an online business to support herself financially.
“I wanted to be independent,” she said. “This helps me stand on my own.”
Faiqa now travels independently, manages her daily routine and is planning to buy a car to improve her mobility.
Asked about her personal life, she was clear about her priorities.
“Yes, I want to get married,” Faiqa said. “But I will continue playing.”
She credits her family for supporting her through her recovery.
“They never gave up on me,” Faiqa said. “That is why I am here today.”
She hopes her journey will encourage families to support children with disabilities.
“Give them opportunities,” she said. “Don’t hide them. Stand by them.”
Faiqa said her story is still unfolding – no longer defined by the fall that changed her life.
