I was reborn – record breaker Samitha Dulan

Sports gave me the strength to win my life back – Samitha Dulan

“I had given up on life,” Dulan reflects, remembering the time when he was bedridden for two years following a motorbike accident in Kalutara.

“I was so fed up, mentally shattered. I had broken my hip, ankle, knee joint, and shoulder. I never thought I would ever get up again.”

But, against all odds, Dulan did rise again, describing the experience as nothing short of a miracle.

“I feel like I was reborn.”

Dulan’s love for sports, nurtured since childhood, played a critical role in his remarkable recovery. Having competed in javelin, shot put, and discus throw at the All-Island level during his school days at Deniyaya National School in Matara, his deep connection to athletics helped him find hope even when he was physically broken.

“If I hadn’t been involved in sports, I don’t think I would have made it this far. Sports gave me the strength to win my life back.”

His 2024 Paris Paralympics performance was nothing short of phenomenal. Dulan’s throw of 67.03m, not only secured him the silver medal but also shattered his own previous world record of 66.48 metres, which he had set at the World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai earlier in the year. Competing in the F44 category, Dulan’s distance was the best in his classification, though the gold medal went to an Indian athlete in the F64 category with the best overall distance.

Dulan’s sporting journey began in his school days, where he first made a name for himself in javelin, shot put, and discus throw. By the time he reached Under-17 level, he had already won gold at the Southern Province Sports Games. After completing school, Dulan joined the Sri Lanka Military Police in 2009 as a professional athlete, quickly making his mark in the Army Novice Athletic Championship in 2016 by setting a new meet record.

But his life took a drastic turn later that year when he was involved in the road accident that left him immobile for two years. Confined to a bed and then a wheelchair, Dulan’s body was held together by bolts and plates, making any movement a painful struggle.

Yet, in 2018, his life changed again when he was introduced to para sports by Maj. Gen. Ampemohotti, then President of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), and Col. Deepal Herath, the current President.

That year, Dulan competed in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where his disability was classified under the F44 category, which includes athletes with lower-limb impairments. He finished fourth in his debut, a result that fueled his commitment to keep pushing forward. By 2019, he had qualified for the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, finishing fourth again. But the breakthrough came in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, where he won his first Paralympic medal, a bronze.

From there, Dulan’s rise continued. He secured a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Para Games in China and another silver earlier in 2024 at the World Para Athletics Championship in France. Through it all, Dulan remains humble, thanking those who helped him along the way. He credits his coach, Pradeep Nishantha, and the NPC, which he describes as his ‘family’, for their constant support.

“They are the tower of strength behind us all,” Dulan says, while acknowledging the Sri Lanka Army, the Sports Ministry, and sponsors such as MAS Holdings and Dialog Axiata for their contributions.

Dulan’s triumph in Paris has brought him widespread recognition, and the Sri Lanka Army rewarded him with two million rupees for his world-record-setting performance. Yet, for Dulan, the greatest reward is the opportunity to continue doing what he loves. His story is one of grit, perseverance, and the power of sport to heal even the deepest wounds.

“I was reborn,” Dulan says, reflecting on the journey that took him from the edge of despair to the pinnacle of international athletics. And with each throw, he continues to defy the odds, proving that sometimes, the greatest victories are those fought within.