Disability doesn’t deter this swimmer

Swimming and kung fu in the morning and basketball and running in the evening, Srujan is training hard to be a national champion. This paralympian wants to make a mark as a swimmer and aims to win big at Paralympics Games in 2016. Srujan is a role model who talks about what inspired him to take up athletics and how he conquered his physical disability

Vesangi Srujan (19) has proved that physical disability is not a hindrance to excel in sports if one has strong determination to fare well. Srujan, a first year BCA student of PB Siddhartha College of Arts and Science, suffered a massive electric shock when he was eight which burnt his left side of the body from the shoulder to the thigh. A top ranker in education until the mishap, Srujan was totally devastated and underwent physical and mental trauma for quite a long time.

Somehow he resumed his studies. It was then that an event changed his life during his summer vacation, which helped him become a paralympic national swimmer.“I went to the PB Siddhartha College grounds during my vacation. A basketball match was under way. When the ball raced to my direction, I stopped it with one hand using all my energy. It made me realise that I could handle the ball with one hand and started practicing basketball. One day my father took me to a swimming pool and I developed an interest in it.

After some days, my friends suggested me to practice running. I also tried my hand at Wuhu Kung Fu martial art. My daily routine now is swimming and kung fu in the morning and basketball and running in the evening. The intercollegiate swimming competition of Krishna University provided me a big leap,” he said.“In my first attempt at a 100 metre butterfly event (general category), I won the third place. I got second place in the district level 200 metre swimming event.

Buoyed by my good performance in the two events, I went to participate in the 14th National Paralympic Swimming Championships and won a medal. Also at the 14th National Athletic Championship, I stood third in 5 km and 1,500 m running events,” he added.Srujan made it clear that academics was his second preference. He is currently undergoing rigorous training in triathlon which includes cycling, swimming and running.

“It suits me better than anything else to show my mettle. My aim is to compete in Paralympics Games in 2016 and win medals for the country. I am confident of accomplishing my goal with the good support and encouragement I am getting from my coaches and the college management,’’ he concludes.

By Ch Sowmya Sruthi