If you want to ace the game, keep that feeling of nervousness miles away, says Wamika Kapoor who is studying in class VIII at Apeejay School, Noida. She secured the first and second positions at the recent UP State Sub Junior and Junior Swimming competitions by representing the Meerut zone.
Her achievements include securing the first position in the 100-metre Butterfly, 400-metre Individual Medley, and 4×200 Freestyle Relay. She also bagged second position in the 50-metre Butterfly, 200mt Butterfly, and 4×100 metre medley relay. She received a cash prize of Rs 3,900.
Being an avid sports follower, Wamika has been specifically influenced by Micheal Phelps and calls him her biggest inspiration. ‘Just like Phelps, I have mastered my training and I can perfectly recover any incorrect stance during swimming,’ she remarks confidently.
Her belief in sportsmanship arises from the fact that there is an opponent and the aim is to excel over that opponent with humility and high spirits instead of mocking that competitor.
‘Competition should only inculcate a feeling of betterment and it helps to understand where I stand overall’, she says.
Practicing daily for two hours after school isn’t an easy feat, but with persistence and dedication, any goal is possible to achieve.
‘Amidst all this, my school has been extremely supportive and encouraged me to pursue swimming without any study stress or breaks. The school staff has provided me with all amenities to practice my swimming coaching,’ asserts Wamika.
Wamika further shares laughingly that swimmers eat a lot, after all, we burn most of the calories inside water only and once the exercises are added the cravings increase multifariously.
And like any other sports trainer would advise, ‘my swimming coach always asks me to avoid junk food, sweets, and aerated drinks. Though twice a month I am allowed a cheat diet so I happily gorge on my favourite Korean cuisine on that day.’ she shares happily.
Having a fixed timetable is the remedy to a successful life and Wamika swears by this rigidly. She names Science as her favourite subject while maintaining a balance between swimming and her studies. By keeping her focus equally on both, she manages her studies during the night after winding up her swimming practice.
She further retorts that sport is the only thing in the world that can bring discipline and resilience to your life. She adds her own experience by confessing – ‘Earlier I would stay awake till 11-12 in the night but since the time I have started swimming, at 9 pm lights are off in my home.’