Divya Delhi:  Today is International Women's Day, commemorating women's vital contributions to society. Strong, sympathetic female figures in sports have garnered fan admiration. In honor of this day, here are some female athletes who embody sports empowerment. First Indian women to win a shooting medal in the 2024 Olympics, Manu Bhaker won two bronzes. She was also the first to earn several medals in one game. Manu is an all-arounder who likes boxing, skating, martial arts, and shooting. At 17, para-archer Sheetal Devi became India's youngest Paralympic medalist. She earned mixed compound archery team bronze. Sheetal hit a bullseye using her lips, shoulders, and feet to shoot the bow, despite a rare congenital disease that inhibits limb development. She is only the second Paralympic medalist without an arm. The first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals was Avani Lekhara. In her 2020 Summer Paralympics debut, Avani won her first gold in 10m air rifle shooting for India. At the Paris Paralympics, she won another gold and broke her three-year-old record. Diana won the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship 2024 in Chennai, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. This teacher-turned-racer is breaking barriers in a male-dominated sport. She proves that women can raise a family and win a national title as a mother of two. At the Paris Paralympics 2024, Preethi Pal became India's first woman track & field athlete to win two medals. She won 100m and 200m T35 bronze medals. She became the first Indian woman track athlete to win a Paralympic medal and a double.