The ambitious journey of Joby Matthew

India stood tall in recently concluded World Dwarf Games in Canada by winning 36 medals. The nation managed to bag medals from various categories. And the star who made India the proudest is none other than Joby Mathew.

It is not really these statistics that matter for an intense sports buff. What touches the heart are stories of athletes like Matthew who do not crumble against the challenges life strews on their path but instead wear them as crowns to inspire generations.

Hailing from Adukkom village in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Joby is a man who has nerves of steel. Fighting fate and battling extreme adversities with determination, life has rewarded him by making him known as a World champion arm-wrestler.

Born with a rare condition, called Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency, he was left with deformed hips and stunted legs with no knee joints. But standing 104 cm tall, he chose to go against the flow of life and turned the tide, battling numerous hardships.

In school, he sat out while others played interesting new sports every day. Joby would feel disheartened, but he decided to make the most of his biggest weapon, his upper body. He had tremendous strength in his arms. And in his free time, Mathew would challenge others to arm-wrestle with him. Soon, he came to be known as the best in the campus.

Staying in a home on the top of a hill was the most difficult of the challenges for the physically challenged Joby. Watching other kids ride bicycles to school would frustrate him to no end. He loved football but he knew his shortcoming.

However, instead of grumbling or blaming fate, he started focussing on what he could best do – arm-wrestling. The moment that would change his life came during the Kottayam District Sports Meet in 1983. This was when his sporting career grew wings as he won gold medals in running and throwball in the disabled category.

This was the starting point of this great journey. It was a new start that would eventually see him win accolades on the World stage.

Mathew is also a brown belt in karate, a member of the Kerala parasailing and paragliding team and a keen swimmer. His passion for life deserves a standing ovation.