Even as a record 300 swimmers from Goa, rest of India and across the world will be taking part
in the 8th Goa Swimathon scheduled to be held in the picturesque, Bambolim Bay
on the weekend of March 24-25, 2018, the focus promises to be on the growing
number of differently abled swimmers who are making this event their own.
Last year, Sagar Badve (28), a hearing impaired and partially
blind swimmer from Aurangabad, won the inaugural 10km race in 2:46:27 hrs,
thereby finishing a good 51 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor. Similarly,
Dhruv Batra (25), who lost his right leg in an accident, swam a very strong 2
km race last year much to everyone’s surprise.
And while Sagar will not be taking part this year as he is
preoccupied with examinations, Dhruv will be taking part in the more arduous 5
km race this weekend.
Others include, Vijay Kumar (34), a visually impaired banker
from Bengaluru, who will be making his debut in the one km race, and Praveen
Teotia (32), former marine commando, who was severely injured in the chest and
the ear during the 26/11 Operations in Mumbai, who will be taking part in the
5km race this year.
What drives these differently abled and injured swimmers to take
the plunge? Dhruv says, “After I started taking swimming seriously, crossing
the English channel has became a life goal for me. The Goa Swimathon gives me
the opportunity to try my hand at open sea swimming and take the first step
towards my dream goal.”
Of course, it was not so easy, as Dhruv explains. “I still
remember when I entered the swimming pool for the first time with a single leg,
I did not have the courage to make eye contact with the people around me.”
However, Dhruv realised that he could swim as strongly as anyone
else. “When I went to the pool on the second day, my head was held high and I
had a vibrant smile on my face. I realised that strength was not something you
have, it is something you find. And it is within you,” he says.
In Sagar’s case, both his parents were national level swimmers
and they taught him to swim at the young age of seven. Rajiv Badve, Sagar’s
father, speaking on his behalf, says, “Swimming has become a passion for Sagar.
His swimming achievements include crossing the Gibraltar Channel, the
Dharamtar-Gateway swim and the 81-km swim in the river Hooghly. Sagar wants to
become a full-time swim coach.”
Shaurya Chakra awardee Praveen Teotia had to endure multiple
lung and ear operations to treat the many bullet wounds he suffered in the
26/11 operations. However, the former commando has bounced back to become an
active triathlete. Having successfully completed two Olympic distance
Triathlons in Goa in the last two years, Praveen is presently training for the
Ironman Triathlon to be held in South Africa in mid-April.
Praveen, who will swim in the 5km race at the Goa Swimathon on
Saturday, says, “The Goa Swimathon will be a milestone for me as it will prove
that my training is going in the right direction. It will also help me
understand my body better,” he says.
On
the other hand, Vijay Kumar, the visually impaired banker from Bengaluru, began
swimming only three years ago. He was encouraged by his coach, Mohan Rao, to
take part in the Goa Swimathon. “My coach was impressed by the organisation of
the event and asked me to take part. I love swimming, as it is the most
accessible, early morning physical workout for me,” Vijay says.
