UNS – Living as a disabled person does not make Ni Made Arianti Putri, a Special Education Program Student, to only stay and do nothing at home. She got the sight disability since her born, but this 22 years old girl can prove that she can achieve her dream even in international level.
Arianti’s has squint-eyed condition in her right eye, while the left one is dysfunctioned due to cataract. She said that it is hard to face this condition at the very first time because she looks different from other normal children. Her peers often bullied her because of her disability, hence the young Arianti sometimes got frustrated.
Fortunately, the support from family and her acquaintance with the athletic world has raised her confidence to be an athlete.
“Actually, I’m that kind of girl who likes to try new thing. I like theater, playing music, and even sport. Most of the disabled people like me are used to be a masseuse or writer. At that time, there was no blind athlete in Bali, so I did,” Arianti said after the national training program in Sriwedari Stadium, Solo, Saturday morning (8/9/2018).
Arianti told that she loves sport since she was in elementary school. Her hard work and integrity as an athlete, especially as a sprinter in sprint number T13 was paid off. She now becomes one of the key athletes for Indonesian disabled athlete team.
The newly prestigious achievement attained by Arianti is a silver medal in ASEAN Para Games 2017 by breaking her own record at 13.04 seconds for the 100 m. Now in her first year as UNS student, she has prepared herself for another level in Asian Para Games 2018.
“I usually start to practice at 05.00. Afterward, I go to college at 07.00 until midday and back to the training again. In the beginning, I felt so tired and confused to manage my time, but now I get into it. I’ve already loved the learning atmosphere in UNS, I do not want to pass it by. I’ll do my best for it,” she continued.
Arianti leaves the messages to everyone, especially disabled people to be brave and do their best for their life, notably for the one who has the dream to be an athlete.
“Being an athlete is not a boring routine. We do the scheduled routine practice everyday. However, we still can have fun, despite just for a while. Therefore, we must do that with love. If we do, we can get it through as well,” she said passionately.
Currently, Arianti is one of the disabled athletes who have joined the national practice program for Asian Para Games 2018. The program has been going on since January. humas-red.uns/Ysp/Dty