How I Became a Swimming Champion at Spectrum 2023, IISc

Swimming is not only a great way to stay fit, but also a life-saving skill. I started swimming for these two reasons, but little did I know that it would lead me to win medals at Spectrum 2023, the annual sports festival of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Spectrum is a platform for IISc students and staff to showcase their talents and compete with their peers in various events, representing their departments. I was interested in participating in the swimming events, but I was not sure if I had the speed or the technique to compete with the experienced swimmers.

I decided to focus on the long-distance events, namely the 800 yards (731.52m) and the 1500 yards (1371.6m) freestyle. I had already built up my endurance by swimming regularly for fitness, so I just needed to work on improving my speed. I trained hard for a few weeks, practicing my strokes, turns, and breathing.

The day of the competition arrived, and I was nervous but excited. There was no pressure, as I had no expectations. I entered the pool and waited for the whistle. As soon as I heard it, I dived into the water and started swimming as fast as possible. I kept a steady pace and did not pay any attention to the other swimmers. I reached the finish line and looked at the referee. I had won the gold medal in the 800-yard event with a time of 17:07 (min:sec), beating the second place by 38 seconds. I was overjoyed and proud of myself.

I had another race to go, the 1500-yard event. I knew it would be more challenging, but I was confident in my stamina. I tried repeating the same strategy as before and swam with all my strength. I finished the race with a time of 33:59, which was faster than my 800-yard pace. However, I had to settle for the bronze medal, as I was 15 seconds behind the gold medalist and 10 seconds behind the silver medalist. I was a bit disappointed but impressed with my competitors. I was still happy that I had two medals more than I had expected, as I had just begun swimming regularly 3 months back. The person who got the silver swam alongside me throughout the race. This pushed me to swim my best, thus beating the 800-yard speed by a small margin. I was happy I could maintain a similar speed even through almost double the distance.

I also participated in a mixed team relay event of 4x100 yards freestyle, where I teamed up with three other swimmers from my department. We managed to win the bronze medal in this event, adding to my medal tally.

I had a great time at Spectrum 2023, and I was glad that I could represent my department (Electronic Systems Engineering) and win medals in swimming. What started out as a fitness activity turned out to be a successful competition. I hope to continue swimming and improving my skills. I can now comfortably swim a mile in still water and would want to try swimming in natural and rougher waters.