Ridhima Veerendra Kumar always had an affinity towards water. “From the start I had a special feeling for the water, I liked water a lot. I used to play with water a lot as a kid,” she says. And in the summer camp ahead of starting her 3rd grade, she took the plunge, quite literally. She’s never looked back since.
“I started when I was in 3rd grade in the summer camp at the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre and got selected for the competitive batch from there,” she says.
Now, four years into her training at BAC, the 13-year-old is a rising star in the national aquatic scene. A backstroker, who holds the Group IV national record in 50m backstroke and performed strongly in the junior nationals earlier this year, Ridhima also made her presence felt at the Senior Nationals last month. Despite her tender age, the DPS, South student clinched the 100m backstroke gold, a bronze in the 50m backstroke and silver in the relay.
“It felt good because I was the youngest in the competition. Everyone was 19-20 years. I didn’t think about winning, I just gave my best,” she says when asked about the performance.
The swimmer is also quick to give credit to her parents, Veerendra Kumar and Sunitha, for their support along with her teachers to make this possible. “My parents have supported me very strongly. The school also gives me offs when I need it, the teachers help me with the notes and are very supportive,” she says about her support system.
Now, with the Asian Age Group meet just a handful of days away, Ridhima, who will be taking part in the backstroke events and a relay, is keen to make another splash.
“The focus is on strokes and to make every lap better. Training is good, it’s hard and new, different from what I do every day. Every lap is faster and we’re doing more training. I’m set for the event,” she says confidently. The national team head coach, Pradeep Kumar, believes she is one of the premier talents in the country but remains cautious.
“She is one of the best talents out there. She is tall and if everything goes well, she has the making of a great swimmer. But, it’s all about progressing. If she does, then in a couple of years she can really push for the record,” he remarks.
What’s her ceiling, only time will tell. But if it were to match her ambition of swimming at the Olympics, then it will certainly need to be a high.