No stopping this twin torpedoes

Many engage in a sport activity just to keep the body fit. Rarer are those who not only play to keep fit, but go beyond and makes it a passion. Identical twin brothers, M Ananthan (15) and M Aravinthan (15) studying in a city school are touching new heights at various National and State level swimming championships.

With a firm conviction to represent India at the Olympics, the duo started to learn swimming at the age of 10.

What started as a genuine interest slowly grew into a passion, says Ananthan. “We started to swim at the age of 10. It was basically to keep fit. The love for the sport grew gradually,” he says.

No sport goes without its share of efforts. The twins soon realised that one has to put in a lot of effort to succeed. “It was during one of our summer vacations in Malaysia, where we spent three months in training we got a professional hang of the sport,” says Aravinthan.

Even after training in Malaysia, the duo could not find a foothold until they joined the Shenoy Nagar Government Swimming pool. They had to put in a year of training before bagging their first medal representing Chennai district in a State meet. “When we were 12, we joined the Shenoy Nagar Government Swimming Pool and were trained by coach T Chandrasekhar. We soon represented Chennai district at a State meet and bagged our first bronze medal at a relay event,” says Ananthan.

Today the duo puts in several hours of training and ensures that not a day is lost without having hit the swimming pool. “We make it a point to practise for seven hours a day split into two 3.5 hour sessions, in the morning and evening, before and after school hours. We feel very odd if a day is lost without swimming,” says Aravinthan.

Recognising their talent, their family and the school supported them right from the start. Their achievements prompted school authorities to issue scholarships for the duo.

“The school appreciates the success they have achieved at such a young age. Their term fee is awarded as scholarship. They are quite balanced, they take part in various swimming competitions and pay regular attention to academics as well,” says K M R Jawahar, physical director, Sindhi Model School.

“R Mahendran, their father backed them to the helm. He ensure that they balance education and swimming and also provides them with all the necessary support,” says M Ramaprabha, mother of the twins.

The family hopes that the twins would represent India someday by making it to the mother of all sports events, the Olympics. “We want them to participate in the Olympics, that’s been their dream right from the beginning. We hope that dream comes true,” says Ramaprabha.