Chandeep Singh - According to the Doctors, My Survival Was On the Priority and Not My Arms (India Based Athlete)

According to the doctors my survival was on the priority and not my arms. So after few hours and a couple dialysis, I was in the operation theatre. Till then it was late and the arms had started getting infected. So, they amputate my hands near my wrist. I was unconscious and when I woke up I still couldn’t figure out that I had lost my hand.

When I did, I cried frantically for while and then stopped. Then, since the infection had not stopped, it was decided to go for another operation in which my forearms were to be amputated. I was conscious during that one.

Tell us about your background and journey.

I am Chandeep Singh Sudan. I am a National Skater, International Taekwondo player and now I am aspiring and training to be a Swimmer. What else am I?

As you can see, I am a person everyone categorize as a person with a disability or special ability. Now, I can tell you my story and you may or may not get amazed, it may or may not motivate you and you may or may not think about it going back home. But I am telling you this so that if ever you feel stuck, you feel that you’ve hit rock bottom and there’s no way to go forward, think of my story and maybe you can channel in yourself some energy to start am gain on it.

I was 11 years old, in seventh class. I was a football player, athletics and skating at school, zonal and national levels. I was a hyperactive and notorious kid; like a magnet to the accident but nothing ever stopped me.

Then, On the cold day of 2 January 2011, I was playing with my cousins on the rooftop. While playing, my hand accidently touched an 11000 volts electricity wire. Both arms burnt and my abdomen literally burst.

I was taken to the local hospital and from there I was referred to another one, more than a hundred kilometres away, which was more equipped to deal with it. When I reached there, since my Kidneys had failed, they couldn’t address my arms right away.

According to the doctors my survival was on the priority and not my arms. So after few hours and a couple dialysis, I was in the operation theatre. Till then it was late and the arms had started getting infected. So, they amputate my hands near my wrist. I was unconscious and when I woke up I still couldn’t figure out that I had lost my hand.

When I did, I cried frantically for while and then stopped. Then, since the infection had not stopped, it was decided to go for another operation in which my forearms were to be amputated. I was conscious during that one.

And then all of my arms were amputated. Meanwhile, I was going through other surgeries on my abdomen. Today, I can say that I have two pairs of lips- One up here and one on my belly. My lower torso has been reconstructed by plastic surgeries.

Obviously, it was excruciating, immensely painful and heart-wrenching. But I went on to become a national level skater, with my name in the Golden Book of World Records featuring me as the fastest Para-skater in the 100 m category.

I am an International Taekwondo player with several medals and awards in my kity including four International Golds. I am also Jammu and Kashmir State Awardee, 2019.

And I would tell you one thing, not to brag but what I feel helped me can you too. Despite being a Para-athlete, despite the disability, I always preferred to practice with the normal players, because that prepares me better. It is a choice to take on challenges. You can stay safe in your cocoon or face the odd and conquer it.

Now, I am training for swimming. Yes, without arms. It only took me two days, because I believed I can do it before I even dipped my toes in the water. I am eyeing the National and international tournaments of that as well.

Even when I came to study, my disability was never my excuse. I am currently pursuing Electrical Engineering and will pass out in a couple of months.

What you learned from the situations you faced in your life?

I want to share seven things that I have been unconsciously practising all this while.



1. You can choose the attitude you have; You can be a Victim or a Victor.

Of course, it is devastating that I lost both my limbs- my whole life changed. But I don’t remember cribbing about it. If anything I and my family are grateful that I survived. It could be because I was young, that I didn’t focus on what I couldn’t do but challenge myself to do those. When I was still in ICU, I asked my brother to lend me the phone for a while.

And he had expressions that were expected of him- shocked and questioning. But I insisted. In a couple of hours, I was scrolling through the phone with my feet. Even doctors were amazed that I learnt it so quickly like I had been practising it even before the accident. I never let it sync in that I cannot do it- be it Skating, Taekwondo or Swimming.

I used to skate before, and I had a realization that arms are needed for balance in the sport. Despite that when I’d see my peers practising it would grab me towards it. So one day I borrowed a pair of skates from a friend and started practising. When I learnt enough then I declared to my family that I want to go to Stadium for formal coaching. They were shocked and before they could tell me I cannot I announced -I already can.

This was not after years but few months from my accident. I still had stitches on. It’s not that I never crashed, I even ripped open my stitches but I knew I had to get back on track after each fall. I didn’t want to be a victim of my circumstances, of my disability; I wanted to be a victor, a winner in every situation.


2. The energies you channel in yourself, is the energy you give out. The energy you give out is the energy you get back.

I didn’t realize it then but I appreciate it now. My parents never made me feel I was any less after the accident and double amputation. I still get pampered, spoiled and even scolded. My family is big on humour and we laugh most of the time.

Just think of a scenario, when my family was trying to be positive if I had a pessimistic attitude and focused on what I had lost or when I was enthusiastic about skating if they would have been restrictive. The energies would have been blocked. I received what I was giving out and I was giving out what I was receiving.



3. That brings me to the next point- Sometimes you don’t need a push but a ‘Dhaka’

Family’s support is a must. I remember that my family went on from being a positive one to even more positive. And it has added to my growth. But sometimes you not only need encouragement but you need someone to put you in the challenges. While everyone else are always encouraging, my sister pushes me a little harder. She has at times made me take on challenges which even I was apprehensive about.



4. Don’t forget to smile and have a good hearty laugh.

We all have bad days, sometimes it starts to look like a bad life. But it isn’t as bad when you smile. Smiling can be difficult at times but like I said- Victor’s attitude. A winner smiles through challenges, and not just drag themselves through them. When everything around you is gloomy cracking a joke or doing something funny has always worked for me. The kid inside you should always stay alive and mischievous.



5. Look at the bright side. There’s always a ray of light for every shadow

Now, I can be an achiever but I have a fair realization that I am dependent. I need someone to feed me. But instead of feeling low about it, I focus on the fact that while one’s own hand can do you harm when one smokes or drinks or just about do anything that harms themselves but the hands I am relying on would never do that to me. I might not have physical attributes- hand, but I have a lot many who are pushing me forward, pulling me up and supporting me.



6. Do you celebrate an achievement or something good that happened to you for a lifetime? Then why remember a mishap or a failure. Move on.

My point is when something good happens to us, we get happy, we celebrate and then we move on. Yes, we remember it but we don’t keep celebrating it for the rest of our lives. Then why do we get stuck on failures or mishaps? Yes, feeling disappointed and grieved is natural but one cannot keep mourning for all our lives. I cannot imagine if I had been crestfallen that I don’t have my arms anymore and keep grieving and complaining about it, I couldn’t have done any good; survival would have become difficult let alone winning an award.

7. In the last I have few lines I want you to take away from here. A sum up in my seventh point.

Belief in yourself can be miraculous,
Dreaming is life-changing,
Pursuing it is daring,
Tackling challenges is rewarding,
Executing tasks towards your goal is moving
Achieving them is motivating.



Who is your favourite player and what you have learnt from him/her?

My favourite player is Sardar Milkha Singh Ji and the thing I learned from him is that keep doing hard work and never give up.

What is the level of commitment and time required to make a sports career?

The level of commitment depends upon by person to person but the must thing which is required is being loyal to your sport and doing all the hard work required to make things possible.

How can we encourage youngsters to make sports a full-time profession?

We can encourage youngsters by making more awareness towards sports the things which we can do is that we can make every sport to give equal value to everyone.

Which is your favourite book or song and why?

No favourite book, Every song becomes my favourite if the song is having good lyrics.


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Interviewed by - Shivang Singh