Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal, A swimming coach in the capital is engaged in training the art of swimming to the especially abled children. He says that I see them as especially abled, but not as handicapped. Prakash Tarun Pushkar’s Swimming Pool’s) coach, Mukesh Mishra, is training the art of swimming to the especially abled which includes mentally challenged children.
In addition to Prakash Tarun Pushkar, Mukesh Mishra is also training swimming to children under the Fins Swimming Club. In a discussion with Navbharat/ Chronicle, Mishra said that he took the pledge to teach swimming to the children in the year 2002 when he newly joined Prakash Tarun Pushkar.
He saw that a mentally impaired girl child comes there to learn swimming in the swimming pool but her coach never gets in the water with her and she keeps on trying to learn swimming by self.
On seeing this incident, Mukesh decided that he had decided that he will train her swimming Mishra said that when he started training her, her talent came to fruition in a few days and she became a center point of public in the entire swimming pool, and from that day onwards, he pledged to train swimming to especially abled children specially to mentally challenged children.
Presently Mukesh Mishra has 12 such trainee children in Prakash Tarun Pushkar and there are 20 students in Silver Fins Swimming Club and they are learning to swim with full zeal.
I am their friend, not a teacher
Mishra says that there is no need to have any special remedy to teach such types children to swim, if you only pay attention on them, their confidence level increases. For some days in the beginning, I extend friendship with them to teach such children to swim.
I do not train them separately, rather than I train them with normal children. And because of this, they are well prepared for the competition. Mishra says that the support is the second name of competition.
Mishra says that the most important thing in the training of these children is to treat them friendly. Once they start believing in you then it becomes easier for you and for them also to learn.
Especially abled earning name
Mishra said that many children trained by him have performed well in various competitions and have won the medals and are also earning names as a good swimmer. One of his students, Mishthi, also won a gold medal and a bronze medal in Gandhi Nagar in India’s special category. Another student Suman Kale also bagged a gold medal in this competition.
He said that his dream is to make these children an international level swimmer. This year, 20 students of Coach Mishra were selected in the International Competition which was held in Abu Dhabi and he also went there with these children.
Every human being has some special qualities and some weaknesses too. This is come with these especially abled children. I am happy that my daughter got a coach like Mukesh Mishra.
-Tejaswini Sharma,
mother of a trainee
Society should focus not on the weaknesses but also the qualities of these especially abled children, so that they can also enjoy life like us.
-Vikram Singh,
father of a trainee