Avani Lekhara is an Indian rifle shooter. She is a double gold medalist at the Paralympics having won the 10m rifle event the 2020 Paralympics as well as the 2024 Paralympics. She made history by winning two back-to-back golds. She also won the bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event at the 2020 Games, thus being the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at a single Paralympic Games. Lekhara is a two-time gold and one-time silver medalist at the Para World Cup.

Lekhara began shooting in 2015, inspired by former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and has since won several national and international titles.

She is coached by Chandra Shekhar.

She is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. Lekhara won India’s first gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. With a score of 249.6 points in the final event, she set a Paralympic record and tied the world record.

On 3 September 2021, she became the first Indian female Paralympian to win two medals in Paralympics history after claiming bronze in women’s 50m air rifle standing event.

In Paralympics 2024 at Paris, she won a gold in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1. She became the first Indian women athlete to win three paralympic medals.