The bullet wasn’t meant for him. The battle wasn’t supposed to end here. Yet, on a rainy July afternoon in Assam, a decorated Gorkha soldier found himself crushed under twisted metal, his body unresponsive, his future uncertain. For most, that would have been the end of the story.

For Naik Suresh Kumar Karki of the Infantry 2/9 Gorkha Rifles, it was only the first chapter of a remarkable second life.

A Soldier’s Journey

Born in Nepal, Karki grew up admiring the legendary reputation of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army. That admiration turned into ambition, and in 1995 he joined the 39th cadre of the Gorkha Rifles.

His career took him from the training grounds of Banaras to postings in Gurdaspur, Srinagar, Kolkata, and finally Assam—each assignment marked by discipline, resilience, and dangerous combat missions.

In Srinagar, he was part of operations that neutralised several militants. By 2004, he was posted in Assam, a region where counter-terrorism missions were part of daily life.

The Day Everything Changed

It was July 7, 2004. During Operation Rhino—a high-risk counter-terrorism mission—Karki was evacuating a wounded soldier from the Sikh Regiment to a military hospital. The man had been shot and every second counted. But en route, near Rangiya, their ambulance collided with a civilian bus.

The impact shattered Karki’s spine. He lost all movement and sensation below the waist, along with bowel and bladder function.

The Darkest Hours

The days that followed were a blur of hospitals and surgeries—first in Guwahati, then in Kolkata, and finally rehabilitation in Pune.

The soldier who had once trekked mountains now needed four people just to help him turn in bed. The wheelchair felt like a prison. His appetite faded, and depression took hold.

Worse still, he feared for his young family—a four-year-old child and a baby barely two months old. In his own words, he did not think he would live for "more than six months".

But hope has a way of sneaking back in. Watching other paraplegics at the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC), Pune, actively engaging in sport lit a spark he thought was gone.

Rebuilding Through Sport

A former footballer, Suresh Kumar Karki was drawn to wheelchair basketball and badminton, quickly finding joy and purpose in the game.

He also learnt to swim, mastered table tennis, and took up athletics—soon competing at state and national levels, earning medals along the way.

In 2013, wheelchair badminton was introduced at the PRC. That same year, the team won the national championship. Between 2014 and 2015, they claimed medals at Asian and international tournaments.

Wheelchair basketball became another arena for success, with his team winning the national championship for seven consecutive years until 2023.

In 2022, he even represented India at the World Handball Championship. Off the court, he tested his endurance with marathons and swimming competitions.

A Message Forged In Resilience

Karki’s transformation from a paralysed soldier to a decorated para-athlete is a story of grit and defiance against life’s cruellest odds.

His message to others is simple but powerful- “Challenges should never lead to defeat. Keep a positive outlook, lean on your family, and draw inspiration from fellow Paralympians. Never give up—no matter how hard the struggle.”

Today, Naik Suresh Kumar Karki is not just a war veteran. He is a champion, a mentor, and a living reminder that while the body can be broken, the spirit remains unconquerable.

From the battlefield to the basketball and badminton courts, his courage has found a new arena—and he is still winning.

ALSO READ | The Bicycle Diary: Man Who Challenged Destiny