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Pushing the envelope

Dayanand Kharvi's 24-hour surge against the Arabian Sea was not just an attempt at a record but an instance of sheer human grit, writes JAIDEEP SHENOY

TRIUMPHANT Dayanand (centre) had been in the water for a little over 24 hours when he reached his goal

Just as fish take naturally to water, so does the fisherman, for whom the sea is his all — mother, provider, goddess...

Imagine doing 30 laps in a standard 50-metre swimming pool. Sounds strenuous? Not if you compare it to what Dayanand Kharvi, a swimming instructor at National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Suratkal, achieved here recently.

Challenge

He pushed his wiry frame — and successfully too — swimming 150 kilometres for a possible national record in marathon swimming. What makes his feat all the more challenging is the fact that Dayanand has a steel rod fitted to his left leg. "I had met with an accident two years ago, which badly damaged my left leg. Doctors had to fit a rod on my injured leg to help me recover," he says. "I took a risk, pushing myself for this feat. But sheer providence carried me through."

While it is inherent in some to push their bodies in an effort to set or break records, swimming 150 kilometres on the sea is something even the brave-hearted will think about twice. Despite the risks involved, history is replete with instances of attempts those who have taken on the elements in their determined quest to find a place in record books.

This is precisely what Kharvi did when he entered the estuary at the Gangavalli off Gangoli coast joining the Arabian Sea on April 26. His destination was Bengre fishing harbour in Mangalore. Although he was supposed to start his effort at 6 p.m. the day before, he had to postpone it until mid-day the next day for want of favourable conditions.

When he finally made it to Bengre harbor at 12.15 p.m. on April 27, Dayanand had been in the water for a little over 24 hours and had reached his goal.

Hailing from the fishermen's community, Dayanand is a natural at swimming. Most fishermen swim around 12 to 15 kilometres and in the most demanding of conditions. But rarely do they attempt setting records in marathon swimming.

Dayanand, who had expressed his intent to perform this feat at a media conference prior to the event, was achievement personified after the event. Exhausted from the feat and soaking in the adulation from a vast crowd that had gathered at the quay, Dayanand declared: "I have swum 150 kilometres. My next step is to strive for an entry into the Limca Book of Records."

Will power

Did he ever feel he would give up? "Well almost! I was totally exhausted by the time I reached Kaup. But I managed to recoup my energies by sleeping afloat for an hour before resuming,'' he says. "Favourable wind and sea conditions too helped ease a little bit of my burden. The constant encouragement of my support team spurred me on," he adds.

Thankful for the support he received from different quarters in the run up to the event, Dayanand asserts: "I can swim down from Goa to Mangalore." However, if individual grit and determination alone were to carry the day, we would have people breaking records by the dozen. Dayanand is on the lookout for a sponsor who can help him realise his dreams.

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