UDUPI: Gangadhar G, a former employee of the state transport department, swam his way into India Book of Records for maximum distance covered while swimming in the Padmasana posture on Sunday.
A resident of Kadekar in Udupi taluk, Gangadhar, 65, founder president, Jai Durga Swimming Club, who took to swimming as a hobby aged 50, completed the record attempt by swimming for 1,400 metres with his legs shackled while using breaststroke.
K Raghupathi Bhat, Udupi MLA fetes Gangadhar G after his successful record attempt in Udupi on Sunday.
"I was required to swim a minimum of 800 metres to make this record,” Gangadhar told TOI.
The entire record attempt saw him practice seriously for the last 20 days and culminated with the successful attempt that started near the Sri Devi Bhajana Mandir at Padukere coast here.
He took 73 minutes and seven seconds to swim the 1,400 metres egged on by members and support staff from the club.
The entire course that he swam in the Arabian Sea was marked beforehand to facilitate the validation of the record.
Personnel from coastal security police were on hand to lend a helping hand if the need for it arose.
Gangadhar confided that his earlier stint in learning yoga helped him a lot in this record attempt.
"I trained myself for this endeavour," he said, adding, the training he imparted to students of the club also helped him.
Gangadhar said the thought of having a go at an appropriate record category in the Guinness World Records has crossed his mind.
"This will be a lot more demanding given the rules and requirements that Guinness demands,” Gangadhar said.
MLA K Raghupathi Bhat, former minister Pramod Madhwaraj feted Gangadhar later on his record.