Interview with Sharath Gayakwad: "I learnt to deal with physical disability from an early age"

Sharath at the 2014 Asian Games, wearing 5 of the 6 medals he won at the event.

Fresh off multiple wins at the Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaft in Berlin, Germany, 24-year-old Sharath Gayakwad is on a high. Last year, Sharath made history at the Asian Para Games held in Incheon, South Korea. His six-medal win has taken him past Indian sprinting legend PT Usha to set the record for most number of medals by an Indian at any multi-discipline event.

Sharath, born with a deformed left arm, has not let his physical issues pose any challenge to his stellar career. Following his German win, he spoke to Anuradha Santhanam about mental resilience, injury and how Rahul Dravid contributed to his success:

Q. Sharath, how do you feel after this win? Did it hold any special meaning for you?

With the 2016 Rio Olympics on the horizon, this year is extremely important for us. The Minimum Qualification Standards for Rio 2016 have been announced, and each upcoming event is as important as the last one. The level of the competition we face has been rising too, so it is important for us to continue performing at the highest level possible. On a personal level I am pleased with my strong finishes at IDM Berlin Swimming Championship. Having achieved the World Championships minimum qualification times in my events, I’m looking forward for the IPC World Swimming Championship, Glasgow in July where I hope to continue to build the momentum.

Q. You have had to face a lot of challenges in your long and successful sporting career: while the physical challenges you began with were obvious, what were some of the major mental or psychological challenges to you, personally?

I learnt to deal with the physical challenges at a young age itself. I realised that though I felt disadvantaged at times, I soon adapted to deal with it. Sport has had a major role to play in this – on the field, we are all equals. Sport is a great leveller and has taught me to stop complaining and work hard to get the results I seek.

As I improved as an athlete, I realised performance isn’t just about physical prowess, the mind has an equally important role to play. Conditioning the mind to perform at an optimum level during competitions is very important. My shoulder injury prior to the Asian Games in 2014 almost drove me into retiring from swimming. At this point, the GoSports Foundation facilitated a meeting with Rahul Dravid. I had a long chat with him, and he motivated me to focus on my sport, work on strengthening and rehabilitation, and get back in the water. I went on to win 6 medals for India at the Asian Games.

Q. You’ve earned medals across strokes and been extremely successful; do you consider any specific stroke your specialty or strength?

My best event is the breaststroke, having held an Asian record in the 50m Breaststroke event. I’m also ranked no.13 in world in the 100m breaststroke.I also enjoy swimming butterfly and freestyle.

Q. You are the first Indian to ever compete at the Paralympics (London, 2012). Did you think at the beginning of your career that you were going to be a worldwide inspiration?

It is always good when your achievements are recognized but my motivation has never been about gaining recognition. Right from the start of my swimming career, I’ve always believed in competing with myself and beating my own performance. My passion for swimming has kept me going and I strive to keep doing my best each time I hit the pool.

Q. You have won medals at this venue (Berlin) before. Did the familiarity of the venue help in any way?

I’ve been participating in the IDM Swimming Championships in Berlin since 2011 and performed considerably well there. The championships bring together a bunch of extremely talented swimmers competing for top honours and it has always been a pleasure to be there and compete with the best! While the venue itself has no bearing to the results, I’m particularly happy with the medals because of the quality of swimming talent that competes at this event.

Q. Many people have helped contribute to your career, largely propelled by your own resilience and hard work– whose contribution would you count as the most significant and why?

My parents have always been supportive and right from school days encouraged me to participate in the same activities as the rest of the class. They recognised my love for swimming and provided the emotional and financial support that I need during various phases of my career. My coach John Christopher Sir has been a father-figure and I credit a large portion of my achievements to him. Additionally, the GoSports Foundation has been supporting me since 2011, andhas played a crucial part in providing me not only the financial support but also access to top class technical expertise. More importantly, they have facilitated mentorship sessions with perhaps one of the best sportspersons in India (and the world) – Rahul Dravid. I would also like to mention Speedo, for providing me with the best quality swimming gear for training and competition.

Q. What do you think of the current state of athleticism in India currently? There do not seem to be significant facilities for coaching or training – as someone who has been on the inside, what are your views?

Personally I feel that there is no difference between Para athletes and regular athletes because both work extremely hard to train and compete for the country in their chosen sport. The achievements of both sets of athletes must be equally recognized. Off late, Indian para athletes have been competing at international competitions in different disciplines and winning medals for India. The future of Indian para-sports looks promising and I hope that our hard work and passion can take us to higher levels of performance, purpose and pride.

Q. Do you plan to get involved in para-athletics in a more substantial role as time passes?

Like I mentioned earlier, I will definitely continue my association with sport even after I stop competing. I want to play a role in coaching and sports administration. India has a vast array of sporting talent and I wish to play my part in nurturing them and seeing them perform for India. I hope that I can contribute in my capacity as an athlete and help others carry forward the baton of Indian sport and achieve sustained success and pride.

Q. What plans for the future?

We are looking steadily ahead towards Rio 2016. Personally I wish to continue performing at the highest level possible and am motivated to continue to train and compete. After my swimming career, I plan to give back to the sport by coaching young swimmers and help them compete and perform at the highest level. I’ve already started coaching a few young swimmers who come to swim during my training sessions. Many of them have represented their respective States in national level swimming championships.