CHENNAI: With a clutch of medals and individual championship wins under his belt at the age of 17, D Adhithya is an upcoming swimmer who wants to excel for India. Winner of a bronze medal in 4x100m freestyle relay at the recent 10th Asian Age Group Championship in Bengaluru, he also topped the sports category engineering merit list of Anna University this year.
Adhithya’s family members are no strangers to sports. His mother Bindu was a national-level shot-putter. An uncle played cricket. Support from family is one of the reasons why he has been able to make his mark in swimming while not neglecting studies. Participating in international events such as the Asian Age Group Championship has provided him a platform to train with Olympic-level swimmers.
Adhithya enjoys performing under pressure. He is a sort of a relay specialist and the Bengaluru medal remains a high point of his career. “Representing India in swimming is a big thing for me. And winning a bronze medal was an even prouder moment,” says Adhithya. He has competed in several categories including freestyle, backstroke and medley. But his focus is on 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly.
The former student of GK Shetty Hindu Vidyalaya MHSS started swimming to stay fit until his talent caught the attention of coach Veerabadhran. From the age of seven, he is coached by Veerabadhran and gives him full credit for what he has achieved. “He made me mentally strong when I felt low. He always insisted that I can do it,” says the first year student of engineering in computer science at Anna University, who thinks the quality of swimming facilities in Chennai should improve.
When it comes to relays, Adhithya feels the most important aspect is communication. Equally crucial is to know the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates. “The fastest swimmer in the team will be the finisher and second fastest will be the first one in a relay,” says Adhithya, explaining the process.
Swimmers have to follow a strict diet to stay fit for competitions. His involves mostly dry fruits and vegetables. Fried and junk food or beverages popular among teenagers are out of his list. Although Adhithya rates the Asian Age Group bronze as the highlight of his career, he thinks the 2016 national junior championship turned his life. “I practised one year for that event with all my coaches,” says Adhithya. All that effort reaped rewards. He won a gold, two silver and a bronze in that competition.
He aims to finish on the podium in the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games and the 2024 Olympics. Winning a medal for India is his ultimate goal.