Hyderabad: The forties are one of the most difficult periods for many women. Dealing with hormone changes and growing children, it’s no joke to take care of the house. But Syamala Goli sets another example that age can be no bar for women if they want to.
Recently, on March 19, the 47-year-old swimmer swam across Palk Sea Strait and became the first Telugu woman and the second woman in the world to swim the 30km stretch between Sri Lanka and India. She is the thirteenth swimmer in the world to achieve the challenging feat.
Syamala started swimming in 2016 after she had to close her animation business and struggled with health issues. ‘I’ve been through hormonal changes and menopause. At the same time, my animation company, which got good work from companies like Pogo, had to be shut down due to serious losses. I was very stressed at that point. To get out of my depression, I decided to start physical activities, ”she says.
By the way, Syamala had until then a crippling fear of water. “Until then, I was a homemaker and entrepreneur. Even in my growing up years, I did not practice many sports. My family was encouraging and with a little help I finally stepped into the water. “There could be no return from there. Slowly Syamala starts to enjoy her swimming and even starts participating in some competitions.
Syamala represented Telangana at the 2020 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. In November 2020, she swam a 30km stretch in the Great Ganges River in Patna and secured the sixth position with a time frame of 110 minutes. ‘In many competitions I am the oldest participant. The authorities even rejected my application for swimming in Ganga. Only after I compiled some medical reports showing that I was fit did they allow me to participate. During several other events, I competed with people who practiced from a young age, when I was only five years old in the sport. It is even fascinating to me that I was able to achieve so much. ”
The swimmer says that while people rely on a special diet during their training, opted for a healthy homemade meal. She says: ‘My diet included Ragi malt, eggs, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. It was not nice at all. It kept me healthy and charged. ”
The performance of Palk Street was two years the result of rigorous training. ‘I started training for Palk Street in 2019. Senior IPS officer Rajeev Trivedi, who himself crossed Palk Street, Gilbert and the English Channel, helped me a lot. My day started at 4 p.m. After a few hours of swimming and one hour of running, I would come home again. After I finished there, I would start practicing again every day from 18:00 to 22:00. Syamala thanks MLC K Kavitha for her help with all the formality and paperwork and says that the politician encouraged her a lot.
However, the 13 hours and 43 minutes of swimming in Palk Street were not entirely smooth. “The water was very smooth on the Sri Lankan side. But when I entered the Indian waters, the waves were high and rough. Therefore, it took me a few extra hours to cover the distance. ”
Syamala is discouraged by her friends, and shares Syamala that it is necessary for every woman to do something for herself. ‘When I first took part in swimming competitions, my friends said I was too old to do that. But I kept practicing and never gave up on my dreams, ”concludes Syamala.
Source: Telangana Today