Apeksha Fernandes, a campus resident of IIT Bombay, recently won 5 gold medals in individual events, along with a gold and silver medal in team events, at the 48th Junior Aquatic Championship. While creating a stir with her national record time she managed to bag the Individual Championship Trophy at the swimming championship in Bhubaneshwar. Apeksha clocked India's best timings in all 5 individual events.
Here are some excerpts from her interview with the Free Press Journal:
Q) How do you feel after winning the 5 gold medals?
Ans) I feel elated for I didn’t expect to get the 5 best Indian timings at swimming. We were just looking at making national records but the best Indian timings came as a surprise. It is a great feeling as my coach and my parents are quite happy.
Q) How did you start preparing for such an important competition?
Ans) I only had 3 weeks to prepare, that is after the Khelo India Youth Games. In the first week, we started out with 6 sessions and in the remaining two weeks, the sessions increased to 10. We practised quite a few quality sets during this period.
Q) While preparing for the competition, was it difficult to cope with your academics?
Ans) I’m doing the A levels course by the Cambridge Assessment International Education. The ‘A’ levels do present an academic load, so I couldn’t compromise the intensity of academic efforts and continued studying subjects like Chemistry and English. Moreover, I plan on pursuing Biotechnology as an undergraduate course. So, I’d say I’m science-driven and can’t simply afford to level down when it comes to studies.
Q) How do you choose to spend your free time? What are the things you do for leisure?
Ans) I love reading, so you would find me reading some book or the other, at any given time. I also listen to songs, and during the monsoons, I go to spot mushrooms growing on the tree trunks. I bird-watch from my bungalow and sometimes I help my mom garden.
Q) Do you sense a lack of gender parity when it comes to athletic competitions like swimming?
Ans) It is often seen that more Male candidates qualify when it comes to Olympics. But this does not stem from favoritism, I must say that we females have to start pulling up our performances.
Q) How do you build the endurance and stamina for taking part in such competitions?
Ans)In my opinion, if you want to do it you have to drive yourself to get ahead. I would say studying science along with swimming has not been very easy, but the constant support from my parents and coach has made it achievable for me.
Q) While being caught up with these activities, do you miss spending time with your friends and family?
Ans) I believe I do manage to make time for my friends and family. I make it a point to visit my grandmother and my aunt in our hometown.
Q) What advice would you give to more students who want to pursue sports alongside their academics?
Ans) I’d say you have to be patient. I started competing when I was 8. I never got results in the beginning but eventually, things started looking up. Patience is the key. Secondly, if you really want it, you can do it.
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