Veena’s journey to the Special Olympics was made possible with the help of Saadhya and its supporters. Saadhya Trust works towards ensuring awareness of personal rights and making students with disabilities self-dependent. The trust’s initiatives are sustainable and provide bright future for individuals with Intellectual Disability & make their life meaningful.
The daughter of a priest and a homemaker, Veena is a bright 22-year-old child and one of the most admirable achievers from sports in our country. With a history of delayed development, Veena was born via a forceps delivery that resulted in a condition where 30% of her brain was damaged. After a diagnosis from the Mysore National Institute for Speech & Hearing and a consultation with the Late Dr. Ashok Pai, a famous psychiatrist, she was referred to a special school in the district. With Ms. Arathi’s and Saadhya Trust’s support, Veena’s ability to perform in sports such as Powerlifting were noticed. Ms. Arathi, the founder of Saadhya Trust, helped Veena get the platform she deserved, The Special Olympics.
With rigorous training and coaching from one of the best Powerlifters in the region, Veena was able to win 4 medals at the Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2019. The road to success was paved by hard work, quality guidance, powerful platform and persistence.
Behavioral issues and lack of skills created a roadblock for this young woman when she joined the Trust. With the support of the teachers and staff, Veena was able to refine her skillset – Vocational Training, Computer Usage, Basic Life Skills and Physical Education. Within 3 years, she was able to compete in Powerlifting (Deadlifts, Squats and Bench-press) at a local, state and national level.
As a recipient of Special Olympics Medals and a cash prize of INR 8,00,000 from the Ministry if Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, Veena has shown us that with determination, grit and valuable guidance, any individual can succeed.
We, at the Saadhya Trust, are proud of Veena. We also salute the dedication and effort put in by her parents, Vijender and Vani Rao and her coach, Late Mr. Dayanand Kichdi, who was an international Powerlifter.
With over 136 students, Saadhya Trust has come a long way from its inception in 2016 - due to its network of trained professionals and the support and vision of its founders. A systematic approach with a clearly outlined curriculum is responsible for the Trust’s success, not only with Veena (where dedication from the Trust, the parents and Veena led to a Special Olympics win) but also with other students who have improved their vocational, academic and basic skills.