Shalini Saraswathi

• Adventure Enthusiast | Marathoner | Blade Runner

Infused with exceptional will power and driven with an unbeatable energy, Shalini Saraswati is an adventure enthusiast, a blade runner, and a marathoner. A runner without any limbs who has surmounted challenges through sheer determination, her sheer presence is a reminder to audiences that winners never give excuses.

In 2012, Shalini fell victim to a rare bacterial infection, Rickettsial with morts. Over the course of a few months, she lost her baby, endured multiple organ failures and slipped into a coma. She woke up to find her limbs unresponsive and eventually lost all four to the disease.

A strong-willed Shalini spent the next few months in self-rediscovery and training, which led her to athletics to stay fit. Soon, the routine turned into a passion and under the support of her coach BP Aiyyappa, she started participating in marathons. In 2017, she completed the TCS 10K marathon with a finishing time of 95 minutes. She continues to train, always committed to the goals of betterment and growth.

Besides her full-time corporate job as the Deputy General Manager at Firstsource Solutions, Shalini is also an avid blogger, and a public speaker who advocates for the inclusion of Persons with Disability (PwDs) on various platforms.

She is an ambassador for Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation, a non-profit promoting inclusion of PwDs through adventure sports, and is involved with Saviour of Soul, an NGO that works with rehabilitation of sex workers and their children as well as gender-based violence.

Her story and her never-say-die attitude instil motivation and determination in all who meet her. In the last few years, she has addressed audiences at a host of corporates including Walmart, Biocon, TESCO, and RR Donnelly.