Chennai swimmer aims national glory again

Shriya won the gold medal at the state championships, thereby setting a state record in her events (50m and 100m breaststroke) at the south zone selections in December 2016. 

She also won a gold in the 50m breaststroke at the nationals held in Bengaluru in June 2016. The national champion also won the bronze medal in the team medley relay for Tamil Nadu at the nationals last year. 

The current year has also been kind of Shriya. She won the gold in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events at this year’s state meet in June 2017 and will be representing Tamil Nadu for a second time in the 34th sub-junior National Aquatic Championships at Pune. 

Shriya credits her coach K Mukunthan for her success. “It was my coach who asked me to take up swimming full time. He noticed that my kicks are strong. In breaststroke 80% is based on kicks and the rest is on how you can pull yourself in the water. I am also tall for my age and that’s an added advantage,” Shriya said post a training session. 

The 11-year-old is used to not being weighed down by expectations. “The trick is not to think of anything and get stressed. Music helps me a lot by keeping me focussed on the task at hand rather than thinking about external factors,” she added. 

Just like every other aspiring sportsperson, Shriya’s aim is the Olympics. But she also keeps herself grounded with many short-term goals. “Right now, I want to excel in the nationals. I am competing in the senior category too with swimmers who are almost twice my age. It will give me a picture of where I stand at the national level among the seniors,” she explained.