Odisha's Pratyasa Ray Swims to Glory

“During this period, my father, Rajat Kumar Ray, who works in the Odisha government, was transferred to Bhubaneswar. I then began professional training in Kalinga. Balancing studies and sports, I am now pursuing a double postgraduate degree from Utkal University.”

“Surgery wasn’t needed, but I needed two months of rehab. Because of rehab, I had to stay away from my main backstroke events, but I didn’t give up. To maintain my racing ability, I started competing in freestyle and also in longer events of 200 and 400 meters.”

“Pratyasa was born healthy. But she was given antibiotics to protect her from an infection when she was just 21 days old and those medicines reacted adversely. After that, her natural physical development stopped. Our concern grew. We wanted a healthy child, but everything was going against us. During that time, I read in Reader’s Digest that swimming can help children with several health issues. Tired of continuous hospital visits, I decided to take that risk.”

“I started taking my three-year-old daughter to a swimming pool in Sambalpur. No admission was possible at that age, so I went into the water with her myself. The initial days were filled with tears and fear, but gradually, water turned her fear into play. Within two months, hospital visits reduced, and after three months, her health stabilised.”