Swimming away to a glorious win

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The keenness with which a coach and his ward watched their fellow contestants swim along with manikins and race past obstacles at the ongoing national lifesaving championship was so arresting. The attentive eyes seemed to imprint every single stroke and move of the other contestants. It was as if they were seeing people swim for the first time. ‘’No no, we are more concerned about these equipments; the ropes, the manikins and what was the name of the other?,’’ Vinod Kumar asks his ward Vishnu Vijayan, not at all dithered to disclose his ignorance. Both of them may not be well-versed with the equipments used at the championship. But Vishnu and Vinod proudly share the smiles of victors. If the coach came first in the 4*25 m Manikin relay, Vishnu won the 4*25 m individual manikin carry and surprisingly they say that they had not practised with these manikins even once. ‘’We had no idea what the championship was all about. We could practise hardly for two days and that too imagining that we held a manikin while swimming. It was only after coming here that we really understood what these equipments are,’’ says Vinod, who works as the coach at a swimming club based in Nedumangad. The 32-year-old Vinod has been teaching children swimming at the club for the last ten years and this is the first time he has ever taken part in an event along with his own ward, though in entirely different categories. ‘’We had not even heard about the lifesaving championship before. But when we heard that our state is hosting it for the first time, we felt we should be a part of it. I am glad that Vishnu and two of my other wards are also with me for the championship,’’ says Vinod. Though his coach is so much enthused over the championship, Vishnu says that he is more keen on becoming a professional swimmer. ‘’Swimming is a much more vibrant sport in itself. This lifesaving championship is interesting, but it lacks the pace,’’ he says. His coach, who has also been teaching children for free, soon intervenes.  ‘’Lifesaving is also very much part of swimming. There is a significant social cause associated with it. I think it is not too late to spread more awareness about lifesaving in the State,’’ chips in Vinod, who is also a certificate holder in lifesaving. His smile does not wane a bit even while talking about the meagre monetary returns he gets out of his profession. ‘’We come from a rural background. You can imagine how much we can earn out of teaching swimming to village kids. But I am satisfied with what I do and I have produced boys like Vishnu who always make me proud.’’