Stories

As he stepped into the water, his eyes lit up. Something shifted. His shoulders relaxed. His hesitation evaporated. Pritam just had an epiphany. The cool embrace of the water seemed to free him from the weight he carried.

In 2021, he learned about the Paralympic movement.

Then came para-archery. One chance. One bow. One coach.

And then came the moment he had dreamed of—the 2025 Asian Para-Archery Championship in Beijing. His first international debut. “I was nervous,” he admits. “But I gave it everything. I didn’t win a medal, but I made sure people knew Bhutan was here—and I’m just getting started.”

At the 6th Paralympic festival, she was officially registered with the Bhutan Paralympic Committee. She was introduced to para-archery and invited to begin training with the Bhutan Archery Federation. It was a new beginning—one she embraced with everything she had.

In the quiet folds of Bhutan’s hills, two sisters—Kinley Dema and Dawa Lhamo—grew up chasing butterflies and dreams, their laughter echoing through the valleys. Dawa, the elder, was Kinley’s protector, her guiding star. But as adolescence approached, Kinley’s steps began to falter. By seventeen, she could no longer stand, her legs succumbing to an unexplained weakness.