Para Swimmer Niranjan Mukundan speaks about his tryst with the water, love for swimming, and his rise to the top

Faith can move mountains and this para swimmer’s story surely proves that. Junior World Champion Niranjan Mukundan was born with a disease named spina bifida, a neural tube defect which affects the spine or bones of the spine. With clubbed feet, he has had 18 surgeries so far and uses Ankle-foot Orthoses (AFO) assistance to get by. Paralyzed till the age of five with no hopes of even walking let alone competitive swimming, it was as part of hydrotherapy that he took to the water. “I was almost paralyzed as a kid. But when doctors suggested swimming or horse riding to strengthen my legs, I chose to swim since I felt fresh in the water. In fact, I learned to swim in ten days,” recalls the 24-year-old champion swimmer from Bengaluru. There were times when his instructor would put him in the shallow end of the pool but he would swim to the deep end on his own. “Such was my love for the water.” In around three months, renowned swimming coach John Christopher spotted Niranjan’s talent. “He said I should consider competitive swimming since I had more potential in water than just use it for hydro or aqua therapy.” While they were filled with hope at the mere thought of it, Niranjan’s parents were still hesitant since he couldn’t even stand properly back then. “All they wanted was for me to have a normal life. So it was a huge decision for them to make. But once they decided to put me into competitive swimming, everything just clicked. I started loving the water and found it to be my home,” he says.   Travel diaries It has been around 13 years since Niranjan started swimming competitively.  He won his first national medal in 2003 and an international one in 2012. He was crowned as the Junior World Champion at the World Junior Games in the Netherlands in 2015.  “I have represented India in more than 16 countries so far, be in Europe, UK, US, Malaysia or Singapore,” he beams with pride. Ask him about his favourite place in the world and he says, “I have been to Germany around seven to eight times and it’s my favourite place to swim at. The weather over there is great and I won my first international medal over there in 2012 so that makes it doubly special.” A place that he would love to visit is Australia. “Despite being a small country, Australia has an amazing sporting culture with a lot of universities dedicated to sports,” he says.   All in a day Ask him what’s a typical day like for a Junior World Champion and he says it’s all about an early start. “I recently completed my Masters in Sports Management so I am only concentrating on swimming at the moment. I have to be at the pool by 5.15 am so my day starts as early as 4.45 am. My sessions go on till 8.15 am.” He adds, “Once I return home, I take a nap till about 11 am and then hit the gym at 11.15-11.30 am. I rest again post lunch and head back to the pool by 4.30-4.45 pm and continue to train till about 7.45 pm.” While he normally takes Sundays off, he jokes that come what may, even tsunami, he has to follow this routine to stay on top of his game! Eating right Any athlete’s routine is incomplete without a strict diet and the same holds true for Niranjan. “Yes, nutrition and diet do play a very important role in my career. I have put under a strict diet thanks to which I have seen many positive changes in my life. Since I am a Brahmin, I am a vegetarian and don’t eat meat. Even in vegetarian foods, there are many items that I don’t like, for instance ‘paneer’,” he laughs. “So I consume a lot of eggs since I need to eat a lot of protein,” he adds. Being a big foodie, he enjoys his cheat meals once every 14 days and loves to head to the VV Puram Food Street in Bengaluru to dig into an array of street food. “I have also been training in Thailand since 2016 for the Tokyo Olympics under an Olympic specialist. Since I stay in a remote place, I head to a place 27 km every few weeks to eat a few ‘gulab jamuns’! But as my coach says, ‘Athletes don’t have taste buds’. Representing India is not something that everyone can do. So these are just a few small sacrifices that I have to make being a sportsperson.” Niranjan Madhavan Why does India lag behind? While Niranjan feels that disable-friendly infrastructure is the need of the hour in the country, he also notes that the government should support sportspersons during the training period instead of showering them with rewards post-victory. “Since many talented people can’t afford the training sessions and don’t get support at the right time, they end up quitting,” he laments. Inspiration, future plans and more With his parents being a pillar of support for him, Niranjan considers former cricketer Rahul Dravid as his inspiration. “I just love his composure and the way he handles pressure both on and off the field. I have interacted with him many times since he is on the advisory board of GoSports Foundation, the sports company whom I am under. But every time I talk to him, I am just awestruck at how amazing he is!” While currently he has qualified for the world championships and is training to qualify for the paralympics at the Tokyo Olympics the next year, his long term dream is to open his own academy after he retires. His advice for budding swimmers is to “do what you love and love what you do”. To know such incredible personalities, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our digital magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.