The Sky is the limit for sixteen-year-old Shreya Mishra, who in spite of being affected by Down Syndrome battled all odds to become an ace award-winning national classical dancer. Her parents Srikakulam-based Sivaprasad Mishra and Padmavathi Mahapatro were devastated when at the age of three, Shreya was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.

Life changed for them drastically as they began the rounds of hospitals for Shreya’s treatment. Her mother Padmavathi quit her job to become a mentor and escort for her. But when the couple saw 5-year-old Shreya shaking her leg to music, their lives took a turn for the better. Padmavathi made the decision to not let Shreya's dance talents be hindered by her disability at that point.

Up till class 7, Shreya attended St. Joseph's School in Parlakhemundi, Odisha. She completed the remainder of her education at Pathapatnam's Vignan School.

Shreya also took lessons in dance. To hone Shreya’s innate dance skills,  Padmavathi traveled at least 120 kilometers every three days of the week from Pathapatnam to Srikakulam. However, the pandemic just made everything worse for her, yet she didn’t lose hope. Padmavathi enrolled her in an online dance class and so Shreya’s practice continued without interruption.

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in New Delhi, her years of struggle paid off as she was presented with the Shresth Divyang Balika award by President Droupadi Murmu. Shreya is a Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam expert who has performed on at least 45 stages nationwide.

The happy and proud parents of Shreya believe that this award is the culmination of their 16-year struggle to get their daughter admitted into schools for her education and to travel to various hospitals for treatment. Padmavathi believes that every special child has a latent talent that should be nurtured by rendering the proper support and encouragement.