Ganderbal, Nov — Fourteen-year-old Khushboo Jan, a physically challenged girl from Beehama, Ganderbal, who has undergone 13 surgeries, successfully completed a 400-metre race alongside athletes without disabilities during the UT-Level Athletic Meet at the Government College of Physical Education (GCOPE) Ganderbal. Khushboo said she ran with fully fit athletes and credited her achievement to the constant encouragement she received. “My teachers and parents always supported me and told me that I can do it,” she said. She appealed to the government for financial assistance and modern equipment to help specially-abled athletes train without difficulties. Her father said Khushboo was not born with a disability. “When she was 17 months old, she fell from the roof and suffered a brain injury. She has undergone 13 surgeries since then,” he said. Expressing pride in her accomplishment, he added, “Hearing that she completed the race with normal students made me feel extremely proud. Her willpower is an inspiration for other children.”