Page 36 - EducationWorld January 2023

Young Achievers

peditions which cost in the — father Sikander Choudhary is a
range of Rs.13-18 lakh per barefoot marathon runner, mother
expedition, is contributed Savita a former volleyball player and
by sponsors, family friends, younger sisters Kanika and Hard-
school teachers, and well- haya are both promising gymnasts —
wishers in Kalna. For one Dhruvi, a class X student of Ajanta
of the initial expeditions, Public School, Gurugram, believes
her father took a bank loan that competition provides stimulus.
and even mortgaged their “Although my Paris experience was a
home. In 2018, Sayani was disappointment, I am confident with
conferred the state govern- adequate training, I can raise the
ment’s Khelashri special bar of my routines to the level of my
award which included a global counterparts,” she says.
“helpful” cash prize of Rs.3 A vegetarian who recently in-
lakh. corporated eggs in her diet, Dhruvi
Ever on the lookout for trains for seven hours daily at
new seas to conquer, Say- Gurugram’s Nehru Stadium starting
SAYANI DAS ani has her sights set on four more at 5 a.m before school and until 9
testing open water stretches. “My
p.m after school hours, under the tu-
dream is to be nominated for the telage of coach and former national
alna (West Bengal)-based Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame champion Kavita Saini.
Sayani Das recently set a for which conquering the remaining Like most athletes in the sporting
Knew record by becoming the four channels of the Oceans Seven state of Haryana — one-third of In-
first Asian woman to swim across Challenge is a pre-condition. They dia’s medals in the Beijing Olympics
the 43-km Molokai Channel which are: Ireland’s North Channel (34 2022 were won by athletes from the
separates the islands of O’ahu and km), Japan’s Tsugaru Channel (20 state — Dhruvi has her sights trained
Molokai in Hawaii, USA. Sayani km), New Zealand’s Cook Strait (26 on the Paris Olympics 2024. “My
swam the channel which strong km) and Spain’s Strait of Gibral- ultimate dream is to win an Olympic
currents and gusty winds apart, is tar (16 km). I intend to fulfill this medal. Right now I am training in-
also the hunting ground of sharks, dream,” says this golden mermaid. tensively to qualify for the Hangzhou
box jellyfish and assorted marine Power to your strokes! Asian Games 2023. I am aware that
species, in a hard grind swimathon Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) Indian gymnasts have a poor global
time of 18 hours on April 28 (2022). record but I believe given adequate
Since 1961, only 37 men and 26 financial support and professional
women have swum the Molokai training, our athletes — especially
Channel. DHRUVI CHOUDHARY girls — can become as good as any
This is only the latest of this worldwide,” says this gritty gymnast.
24-year-old Indian mermaid’s urugram (Haryana)-based Way to go, Sis!
achievements. Others are complet- Dhruvi Choudhary (15) is
ing a 81-km swim down the River Gan emerging star in national Autar Nehru (Delhi)
Ganga (2016); traversing the high gymnastics. Last December (2022),
waves and winds of the English she won an individual bronze medal
Channel (24 km) in 14 hours (2017); in rhythmic gymnastics in the senior
crossing the 19.7-km Rottnest category at the National Games
Channel off the coast of Western staged in Bengaluru. Earlier in May,
Australia (2018), and fording the this Haryana champion was selected
33-km Catalina Channel in Califor- to compete in the School World
nia (2019). Games of the International School
The younger daughter of Rad- Sports Federation (ISF) staged in
heshyam Das, a retired headmaster Paris. Although Dhruvi did not make
of a government school, and home- the podium, she believes that the
maker Rupali Das, Sayani attributes experience of competing with global
her latest feat and mind-boggling gymnasts will improve her routines.
swimathons to sustained parental Recognised by Asian, Common-
support and a rigorous training wealth and Olympics games au-
regimen. “I am very grateful to my thorities as a medals sport, rhythmic
sponsors — the Kolkata-based SKM gymnastics is a discipline combining
Group, Molokai Channel guide Terri grace, coordination, agility and art-
Dietz and Dan Simonelli, founder of istry. To the sound of inspirational
the Open Water Swimming Acad- music, rhythmic gymnasts use the
emy USA,” she says. hoola hoop, ball, clubs and/or rib-
It’s noteworthy that funding bons to perform ballet-like routines.
support for Sayani’s swimming ex- Born into a sports loving family

36 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2023