Personal history
Pathirana was born in Sri Lanka in 1986. Whilst serving in the Sri Lanka Army in Kilinochchi in 2008, a grenade exploded near to his unit. He and six other soldiers were injured, while another died. Pathirana sustained permanent injuries to his left hand and arm. As of 2016 he serves as a staff sergeant in the Sinha Regiment, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. As well as his Paralympic success, Pathirana has also won medals at both IPC Athletics World Championships, IPC World Championship and Asian Para Games level.Athletics career
After watching soldiers with a disability undertaking various sports, Pathirana was asked by his superiors if he wanted to join. He eventually took up para-athletics in 2010 and that year he was classified as a T46 athlete and entered his first international competition, the 2010 Asian Para Games. In 2012 Pathirana represented Sri Lanka at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Paralympics in London. He entered two events, the Athletics at the 2012 Summer Paralympics – Men's 200 metres T46, 200 metres and Athletics at the 2012 Summer Paralympics – Men's 400 metres T46, 400 metres sprints. In the 200 metres he failed to reach the finals, but in the 400 metres he finished third to claim his and Sri Lanka's first Paralympic medal.References
1986 births Living people Paralympic athletes for Sri Lanka Paralympic bronze medalists for Sri Lanka Sri Lankan male sprinters Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Place of birth missing (living people) Sinha Regiment soldiers Track and field athletes with disabilities Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships Medalists at the 2010 Asian Para Games Medalists at the 2014 Asian Para Games Asian Para Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Asian Para Games gold medalists for Sri Lanka Asian Para Games silver medalists for Sri Lanka Asian Para Games bronze medalists for Sri Lanka {{Paralympic-medalist-stub