Paris: Dhinidhi Desinghu, a 14-year-old budding Indian swimmer, is set to represent India at the upcoming Olympics in Paris, competing in the women’s 200m freestyle. As the youngest member of the Indian contingent, Dhinidhi’s journey is an inspiring story of overcoming her initial fear of water to participating in various international swimming competitions.
“But I didn’t like the water, I didn’t want to get in. I couldn’t get my feet into the pool, I couldn’t get my head inside. It was a struggle,” Dhinidhi told The Indian Express. Her journey began when her parents learned how to swim before her to help her feel at ease.
Although she got comfortable in the water, Dhinidhi initially had difficulties in handling the pressure, her mother Jesitha shared with the Indian Express. However, things changed for the better at a state-level open meeting in Mangaluru. Dhinidhi expressed fear and reluctance to swim. Jesitha motivated her to at least see the pool, after which Dhinidhi agreed to compete. She bagged gold and overcame issues with anxiety before competitions, Jesitha recalled.
Dhinidhi shed light upon her habit of writing a diary where she notes everything about her workout, the timing she strives to achieve, her optimal practice times, and national records, among others. Dhinidhi adds: “I write all of it down so that in case I want to know what I have to aim for, I know how far I am. For me, setting goals is a little better because if I have something to work towards, it makes me realise why I am doing all this.”
Along with maintaining a diary, she also has a blog where she shares her journey and experiences, hoping it might help someone else to overcome issues that she faced as a child.
Dhinidhi trains at Dolphin Aquatics in Bengaluru, headed by Dronacharya awardee Nihar Ameen, and is coached by Madhu Kumar. The youngster qualified for the women’s 200m freestyle on a universality quota and will compete alongside Indian swimming veteran Srihari Natara. She holds the record of being the youngest female swimmer to win seven gold medals at the National Games. Additionally, she holds a national record in the women’s 200m freestyle and has participated in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
