Mastering a lifeskill

With days getting hotter, both young and old are taking to swimming as never before. The motivation to keep fit and the need to feel refreshed make this activity a popular one.

Young swimmers and coaches in the City talk about their love for the sport and why it is much sought after. 

Nisha Millet, Arjuna awardee, and director of Nisha Millet’s Swimming Academy, explains, “More and more people are getting the opportunity to swim these days as every apartment has pools which makes it more accessible. Even universities have swimming pools which are well maintained and people are getting exposed to swimming at a young age. In Bangalore, it’s picking up because of the heated pools where people are able to swim even during winter. Swimming is a great sport which does not require any equipment since water takes away 90 percent of body weight. It’s injury free which makes the sport lovable and popular.” 

Jayanth Chandrashekar, a coach at ‘Swim Life’, says, “Swimming has become popular because of the increasing awareness on health and fitness, which eases stress and strain. Swimming is a life skill and it keeps you fit and strengthen your heart and muscle tone. A swimming class isn’t so expensive,” he adds.

Learning swimming at a young age is beneficial as it is easy for a child to get rid of the phobia of water. “If you are not taught in a proper way children will start hating water. The first thing you should do is let children have fun in the water. Then teach them how to breath under water and make them comfortable.

Slowly, they will start enjoying swimming. And always go swimming with a friend to prevent untoward incidents,” he says. The benefits of swimming are immense, say the coaches. One can lose weight if you start learning at a young age.

“Young girls come to our academy wanting to lose weight and have a trim body but the only catch is the sun tan which youngsters are not happy about. They come early in the morning or late evening to prevent tanning,” says Nisha humorously.

Can swimming become a career option? Nisha says, “Unlike other sports, swimming cannot be a career option although there are a few competitions and some support system. Making swimming as a career option is still far away.” 

Anusha Rathor, a 17-year-old, who has been swimming since she was 12, says, “I don’t want to make it a career but I don’t intend to stop swimming either because swimming is what I love to do. If I make it a career, it’s going to become a thing that I have to or must do. I love to swim and I don’t swim because it’s a necessity. Besides, swimming has exposed me to competitions and it has given me a lot of confidence.” 

Nisha’s message to youngsters is to learn swimming the right way and do it in the right manner. “Practise twice a week, once you learn swimming, you will never forget it. It is very relaxing, so enjoy the sport.”

“Water itself is very comforting and swimming makes me feel fresh and calms me down,” says Meghana, a 23-year-old, who took just 15 days to learn four styles. She feels that swimming is easy if you have confidence in yourself and follow the instructions of the coach.