The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Swimming against life’s tide

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Thursday, May 01, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Swimming against life’s tide

Pranav Ramesh and Zohrab Reys Gamat

Bangalore: A palpable excitement pervaded the atmosphere as the students of R.V. School for the Deaf gathered at the Jyothy Aquatic Centre waiting for their daily dip. They seemed no different from the bunch already splashing about in the pool, but for their silence. The reason for their presence — a unique swimming camp for the hearing impaired.

A.K. Umesh from the Foundation for Art and Culture for Deaf (FACD) has shouldered the responsibility of organising this one-of-a-kind programme, in association with S.R. Sindia, water sports coach and consultant. Umesh had originally approached 14 schools with this idea but only R.V. School was game for the venture with one caveat: that Umesh take personal responsibility for the safety of every student.

Mr. Sindia has employed three coaches to train just 10 hearing impaired children, indicating the complexity of the task. “Each aspect of swimming must be approached carefully. The students must be repeatedly told to keep their eyes on the coach at all times. They have a natural tendency to look towards their parents for security and approval. This could lead to a lot of confusion as they would miss out on instructions which can only be administered visually.”

“These students are able bodied and fit. But as a coach, the problem is that no instructions can be given to them in real time. We must wait for them to complete a particular lesson to the best of their abilities before we can correct them,” adds Lokesh who is a professional long-distance swimmer and an instructor at the camp, who has overcome the challenges of being born with a club foot.

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