Dhinidhi Desinghu is going to represent India in the women’s 200m freestyle swimming at the Paris Olympics 2024 i.e., at Olympics swimming; she is just of age 14. Her history as the youngest Olympian ever and her sort of panic help make this a quite remarkable account.
Early Struggles and Being Afraid of Water
When Dhinidhi’s parents decided to involve her in a sport, it was when she started swimming. Swimming was a natural choice, with their home right next to the swimming pool. Initially, however, Dhinidhi was scared of the water. From six to eight, she described her resistance:
“I hated the water; I didn’t want to get in. I could not put my feet in the pool; I could not get my head underwater.
It was years before she felt comfortable getting back in the pool, so strong was her fear. Her fear followed her when she returned to the pool in 2014, but this time, Xie’s parents were going to make sure their daughter didn’t leave waterlogged. Her parents learned to swim themselves and accompanied her into the pool in an effort to make her feel at ease.
Overcoming Challenges
One such incident her mother, Jesitha, shared took place when Dhinidhi was about 8 years old. Dhinidhi may have been gifted, but she was similarly inept at dealing with the pressure and sick or nauseated before competitions.
When half-green with motion sickness and partway up the path to Shyamarani Baug for one particular competition, Dhinidhi protested that she wouldn’t swim. But after walking to the pool, she reversed course and wanted in. She shocked everyone by taking gold in that event and announced herself on the world stage at an early age. She never experienced pre-competition sickness again after that day.
Image source- https://sports.ndtv.com/
Training and Development
She soon shifted to Bengaluru and started training at Dolphin Aquatics, taking her swimming more seriously. She has come a long way despite not knowing her swimming ABCs beyond elementary strokes like backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly when she initially got in. With nothing slash no one but clear water and the faster swimmers ahead of her.
Dhinidhi was a bit intimidated at first to seek assistance from her older companions for help. She started participating in various swimming events.
National And International Ranking
Dhinidhi now owns the national record in Women’s 200m Freestyle which was created today. Not just the swimming national i.e., national events, but she also took part in Hangzhou at Asian Games 2022 to get international exposure.
Conclusion
The little girl who was once scared of water went on to be India’s youngest Olympian- Dhinidhi Desinghu. It is a story of courage, perseverance, and untiring support from her parents throughout. Today, Dhinidhi is an inspiration to other young athletes across the nation. She perfectly sets an example of hoping for the best and facing and overcoming tour fears with anything that you dream to become!
More about swimming
- Who is called a swimmer?
Swimmer is a person who swims or has the ability to swim.
- Is swimming an Olympic?
In the modern era, swimming has been present at every Olympic game.
- Does swimming burn fat?
The activity of swimming burns calories and release energy quickly.
- How many players are in swimming?
Other than the individual events, either in a freestyle or medley relay, four swimmers can participate.
Reference links-
https://sports.ndtv.com/olympics-2024/paris-olympics-meet-indias-14-year-old-swimmer-dhinidhi-desinghu-who-hated-getting-into-water-6176813
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/paris-olympics-2024/indiaparis/who-is-dhinidhi-desinghu-the-youngest-indian-participant-in-paris-olympics/articleshow/112157997.cms
https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/dhinidhi-desinghu-paris-2024-olympics-swimming-9471583/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_(sport)#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20these%20individual,%2C%20breaststroke%2C%20butterfly%20and%20freestyle.
