Some achievements are so loud that everyone can see them in the form of medals, success, getting to the finish line and the crowd cheers. Then there are achievements that are so quiet that they drown in our own sense of ecstasy. I happened to experience both in 1 life event- Kochi Swimathon 2023.
I believe sports education is at the heart of all education a human goes through. As a school kid, from 6th to 8th standard, I used to be in the swimming pool getting trained for god knows what from 1:30 p.m. to 4: 00 p.m. I still don’t recall why I felt that I have to do these after school classes- many kids never did it, but I felt honored to be selected to be trained by school coaches for swimming. We moved cities but one thing that stayed with me was swimming. I loved swimming!
Early in Jan 2023, when I was getting closer to my 39th birthday, I discovered that there was swimathon in Kochi in the river Periyar. I felt like Bhuvan from Lagaan who got to know that the last ball was a no ball and there was still chance to do something.
Swimming in a river was an elevated challenge. The first time I had a chance to swim in river was when my grand mother took me to Gangaji in her village in Chandipur, UP. I still remember how she was a changed person when she went all the way to the other side of the river in minutes. She was a little girl of her village who had no responsibilities and went into the womb of her mother Ganga to play. Her comfort with river was contagious and I had a chance to live that dream. I was not a competitor in swimming, I was the finisher who used to swim till end of the class, the season and the length that I would promise to myself. I loved being in water.
I signed up for the swimathon. First challenge, my hand was injured in weight training. I stopped weight training. Second challenge, Bangalore weather was good for swimming but swimming pools were sinfully cold to practice at all. I signed up for a heated pool to practice. After these 2, it was a daily challenge to schedule classes that worked well with daughter’s school, husband’s office, my office and daughter’s after school activity timings. As days passed, I was getting better at swimming- my timing was improving. I got my 1km timing from 38 mins to 25 mins in 3 weeks. I was feeling confident of swimming but there was a fear of open water swimming- jelly fishes, crocodiles and any other water animal that could have me for breakfast. I did not speak about this to anyone as I had made a commitment that if I feel too scared, I will not go as my family will suffer if something happens to me.
My best friend from college hosted me. He and his wife took me in as a very high maintenance guest who had to be escorted to the event, sightseeing and providing nutrition for the sport. They gave me so much comfort that I forgot about my fears on the day of the event.
Before the Swimathon- me and my baby
On the day D Day, we reached the venue on time and were enjoying the sight. I got ready for the swim, but I missed spending time on the side of the river to get myself used to of swimming in opaque water. My sister had warned me, 30 mins prior to the flag off, you should be at the starting point getting ready to be in the race. The flag off was scheduled at 9:00 but happened at 8:55. I was just not ready. I was the last one to enter water while rest of the participants swam 20 to 25 meters ahead of me. I started my swim and I was swimming fine, but was feeling totally out of breath, I tried stopping all body movement and decided to float for a while, but could not hold my breath to float also. The fear of the dark river took over me. I started asking for help as I was not able to breathe. A life guard approached me and asked me to hold the tube. I held on to the tube. My friend gestured- what happened? I didnt have an answer. I dont know what happened. I was just out of breath. I was telling myself, I can die, I need to go back. However, after holding the tube for about 30 -45 seconds, I was able to breathe and realized, I was just panicked because of unpreparedness before the start of the swimathon.
Rajiv, Priya and Kids!
Holding on to the tube, I started getting comfortable in the water. I had forgotten about everything at that point and all I could see was that I know how to swim, I love the river and I have to honor this opportunity. I requested the life saver to be with me for sometime while I moved ahead. He agreed. He said, I will be with you, keep going. In that moment of weakness, these words were like a “cheenti ko tinke ka sahara”. I went on, and on. I covered the first 100 to 150 meters and then was able to breathe and swim normally.
It took me 46 minutes to complete the swim as opposed to 25 minutes during my practice swims. I had not factored in the time lost in losing my track due to lack of visibility in water (pool water is marked and tracks are clear) and the fact that I will enjoy the warm water so much that I wouldn’t mind staying in water for longer.
As I approached the bank of the river, my anxious friend was waiting for me to complete the swim and waving at me with relief! I completed my 1 km in 46 mins. 25 mins for the first 500 meters and 21 mins for the return. I failed to keep my timing close to my personal best in swimming pool. Now I have a new record for myself- my personal best in river water swimming is 46 minutes
Our struggles define us more than our success. I am that person who conquered fear but struggled to stay alive and not choose a quitter’s path. Somewhere at the back of mind, I knew that I may chicken out but I am humbled by how much support muscle memory provides in the moment of weakness and crisis. Months of swimming in pool for no reason, relentlessly going for the classes even when the pools were empty and cold, or losing competitions- all of it converged to keep me going.
Memento and the Tan!
I am thankful for the life I have and the sports education I received. My parents built me, my husband supports me with all his might, my sister inspires and guides me, my child motivates me (endlessly), my friends Nidhi and Shobhna keep me on tracks, my sister in law’s dad helped with getting my tickets confirmed last minute, Rajiv and Priya were there to support me full force with 3 and 6 year old kids and most importantly, my boss, Preeti Ralli and my company supported me in very unique ways.
For once, I will own this achievement. This was all me!
My timing and ranking on on tdksports.in
