Ladies First

LADIES FIRST tells the story of Deepika Kumari, a young woman from India’s second-poorest state who grew up to become the top-rated female archer in the world. Aside from the crushing disadvantages of extreme poverty, Deepika overcame a largely sexist culture in which her mother was beaten by her uncle for working outside the home and girls are told they don’t belong on the playing field. As a child, Deepika wasn’t even allowed to play outside for fear of recrimination from neighbors. Deepika left home at the age of 12 in search of a better life, hoping to ease her parents’ burden. The free boarding school she attended had an archery range, and Deepika quickly displayed real talent for the sport. While still a teenager, Deepika found herself thrust into the international spotlight. With mounting pressure to bring home Olympic gold, but with almost no support from the government of India, Deepika had to figure out for herself how to keep going after devastating setbacks, and to find the inner strength and resources she needed to reach her greatest potential.