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1. I read in your bio that you started
swimming at the age of 7. How difficult was it for you to cope with the
pressure of studies on one hand and swimming on the other?
Competitive
sport comes with unbelievable pressure and you have to be really committed to
your dreams to be able to stay the course. I knew I could not afford to miss
training because of exams and study pressure. And grades were important as
well. So, I would find time to study in the car on the way to training, and
through my lunch and play breaks at school! An athlete’s life requires a lot of
sacrifice from fairly early on, but then, without sacrifice there is no
success. I had to make these choices if I wanted to live my dreams and I made
them because the joy in living my dream was mu larger than the unhappiness of
sacrifices leading up to it.
2. You have had an iconic career for him in
swimming. You represented India in the Beijing Olympics, commonwealth games,
national games and won numerous medals for your country. Looking back at all these
accomplishments, how satisfying has this journey been? Any fond memories that
you remember of ?
There
are so many memories I hold very dear to my heart ! So many races I can still
think of and relive in my mind very
clearly. But there are major defining moments
as well, that really stand out for me and are quite special - such as
qualifying and swimming for the Beijing Olympics or every single time I lifted
a National Championship trophy or had a Gold Medal put around my neck.
Unforgettable!
3. It is always an honor to represent India.
How did you feel when you represented India for the first time? And how did it
come about ?
My
first international swim meet was the Asia Pacific Swim Champs in Taiwan in
1997.I was selected because I was the fastest 11 year old in the country at the
time. I went to the meet and ended up winning two bronze medals, my first for
my country and most special! I still have them displayed in my trophy cabinet at
home.
4. Today a lot of commercialization of sports
has taken place in India and to be fair only lucrative sports such as Cricket,
Hockey, Football are getting all the money and attention. Do you feel that
Indian government is not doing enough to promote athletic sports such as
swimming, karate, sprints, taekwondo. You have experience. What are your
looking to do in order to contribute ? What are the challenges that you are
facing ?
I believe
that swimming as a sport is fast gaining popularity .The standard of Indian
swimming is also improving. When I competed, the Indian team I was part of won
several medals at the Asian Open level and today we’re also seeing some really
fast swimmers doing well at these meets. I would hope that swimmers and
swimming will one day also have a league of races, just like the IPL does and a
lot of corporate backing and support.
I
contribute to Indian sport by offering learning from my own experience of
representing and swimming for India at the highest levels through workshops for
India’s competitive swimmers. As for getting involved at the governance level –
I recently wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister expressing the need for
change, that got a lot of attention in the media and online. I’ve recently received
an invitation to be on a panel of elite sportsmen to form an Athletes
Commission. I am always open to offering my support to help the cause of sport
and Indian swimming.
5. Indian contingent for Olympics, Asian
Games, Commonwealth games is big but we are not able to have a good medal
tally. Where are we lagging? Do you feel a robust infrastructure would help the
athletes a great deal? What changes/upgrades would you suggest?
I feel
that if we are to compete and win against the best in the world, we need to
have access to everything these athletes have access to. For instance in
swimming, our athletes are likely to better their performances is they had
access to world class training facilities like temperature controlled pools or
nutrition and strength training support on the team. Indian swimming today has
Asian Games medalists and finalists at the CWG as well.Things are looking good
for the sport and I can say this with confidence that when I work with swimmers
at my workshops, and share with them lessons I have learnt from swimming that I
feel that a lot of these swimmers have a bright future, because of their hard
work and also because of the way we work.
6. Swimming is something that people have
started to associate with leisure and don’t take up the sport seriously. How do
you plan to broaden the scope of swimming?
I think
its popularity as a competitive sport is growing everyday. If any one were to
visit even a local swim gala in Mumbai they would see how many swimmers are
present and how much potential the sport has.The problem is that these swimmers
stop swimming and choose a stable financial future or higher education over
competitive swimming at a later age. At this point,there needs to be a brighter
future promised to a swimmer who chooses the pool over studies or a job and
this can only be possible if there was some sort of financial incentive given
to the athletes for winning medals for the country or even sponsorship for
training abroad.That way,parents wont feel the pinch to invest in their kids’ careers
and swimmers will be able to take the risk of pursuing a sport they chose to do
competitively when they were kids !
7. After a string of successful outings in
swimming you are trying your hand at Golf. How did golf come to exist in your
life?
I swam professionally for over 20 years and was
very satisfied with what I had achieved in the pool. After my last race in 2011,
I decided to take an extended break. It was during this time that I happened to
learn Golf and I fell in love with it from day one! Today I train six hours a
day and dream of one day being as good a golfer as a swimmer! If that happens I
will represent India in my new sport, and that’s what keeps me motivated to
train all over again just like I did in the pool. Golf came to me at a very personally
challenging time, and I look at it as a blessing! I respect and love the sport
and I know that if I had the staying power to make it in one sport, I will do
it in the other as well !
8. You have won the most prestigious Arjuna
Award. Can you share with us the entire experience about it?
The Arjuna Award is the highest sporting honor
conferred by the country and recognizes an athlete’s outstanding service to the
nation. It is a great privilege to be honored so by your country. I also won the Best Athlete Trophy in 2002
and 2007 and had the opportunity to receive these from the then Prime Ministers
of India. My parents were with me at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan when I received
the award, and having them there to watch and be part of that moment meant a
lot since they have sacrificed so much to see I got to realize my dreams in the
pool. It was a perfect day and it just goes to show that if you dream big and
work toward your goals, moments like these do come along and show you its all worth it! These awards will always
remain very close to my heart and are rewards for the years of hard work I put
into the pool!
Today, when I go to train every morning I walk onto
the golf course knowing that there is no golfer within a 1000 mile radius or
more that has achieved as much as I have in my first sport, and this helps
boost my confidence through training.
I do not mean to sound arrogant,I have the utmost
respect for what our golfers do because I realize how hard a sport this is to
master, but a little extra confidence always helps especially since I have
started this sport at 26 and I’m up against golfers who have been playing from
the age of 6 !
9. Injuries is very common to any
sportsperson. How do you keep yourself fit and away from injuries?
For both swimming and Golf I have to be very fit. I train 6 hours on the golf course and spend
another 2 in the gym four times a week. When I swam I could eat a lot since I
would do a lot of cardio in the pool, but today I have to be a little careful
about the quantity of food I do eat.
I also stay fit because I have a huge ego and I
like to see a fit me when I look in the mirror. I think fitness has a lot to do
with your self worth and if you value who you are and how good you look, fitness
and how you take care of your body will always be automatic. So I’m sure that
even without a sport, if you want to feel very proud of who you are, a fitter
you will always keep your self confidence high and self esteem higher!
10. I see a
lot of people resorting to virtual games and don’t go out in the park to enjoy
which makes them vulnerable to diseases. What is your message to the youngsters
or the next gen?
I think
that every child needs to really spend time finding a sport for himself that he
loves doing and also loves working very hard at. I’m not saying its wrong to
spend time on the gadgets but there must be a balance. Sport ,even if its not
competitive,must be pursued since it builds character and teaches you so many
invaluable life lessons – discipline, time management, dealing with adversity
and more, preparing us for what lies ahead in our future careers.
11. Cricket is a sport that has been followed
religiously and you must have also followed cricket a lot. What is your
prediction on India’s chances in CWC15?
I would
want India to bring back the cup,and I believe we have a team confident and
strong enough to do so J
12. If you have
to look back at these years, what is that one incident that has left a deep impact on you ? That shaped you as a
person ?
I think that many experiences, good
and bad through the years in the pool have made me the person I am today.I
would not pick out a single moment,because you learn everyday,and when you come
up against situations that put you out of your comfort zone,you learn more.Its
important to have a good attitude and be receptive to the best your sport or
anyone around you has to offer.I did all my swim life,and I do that in my golf
and my work too today J
13. Any
opportunities for managers in the sports industry ?
I think as sport gets increasingly
professional in the country there is a great need for efficient sports managers.
Today I can do what I do better because of the fantastic team I have supporting
my goals. It is because they do what they do so well – my coach Justin Parsons,
my manager Gitika an her team at Criesse, that I can really focus on my sport.
Love what you do and you’ll never
ork a day! I live a very balanced life where I get to spend a lot of time on my
own on the golf course through the week and then I work with several swimmers
on weekends when I coach them ! My life is very full and busy, but sometimes to
get away from it all, I put on a nice movie or some music and I’m fine in a
couple of hours. Long drives and quiet dinners with family and friends relaxes
me too ! The best part is I don’t work,I pursue my dreams and both,the golf and
my swim clinics that I conduct are my career,which I LOVE.
Love what you do and be passionate
about it ! Never let anyone tell you youre not good enough for your dreams and
goals.Surround yourself with people who love you and care for you and stay true
to yourself,always.
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