Miniruwani making tidal waves in swimming

Around ten years ago, a mother pushed her four and a half year old daughter into the deep end of the Trinity College swimming pool. The mother, gynecologist Dr. Eranthi Samarakoon, having been a swimmer in her university days, probably wanted the little one to lose her fear of the water. That was the first splash and the swimmer in question Miniruwani Samarakoon has since gone on to make tidal waves in swimming in Sri Lanka.

Having won every age-group championship since 2000, Miniruwani, who specializes in the butterfly stroke, has been the national champion in the 100 and 200 meters events since 2004. She was adjudged the best female swimmer at the National Aquatic Championships because of the achievement in winning gold medals in all her five events. March 2007 and Miniruwani, the champion swimmer under 16, won first places in the 100 metres butterfly, 100 meters back, 100 meters free style and the 4x50 individual medley at the National Pentathlon swimming championship. The teenager established two records Butterfly stroke and individual medley and became the champion under 15 swimmer at the Sri Lanka schools swimming championships.

More recently, Miniruwani established records in the 100 and 200 meters butterfly stroke events and won three other first places at the National age-group championships in July this year. Interestingly, Miniruwani used to get the better of present day swimming sensation Mayumi Rahim in their early battles. But having left Sri Lanka in 2002, Mayumi, as a result of better training and more exposure, has been able to put some distance between the two. Miniruwani, who first represented the country at the tender age of ten, has been in the national pool ever since. She won a total of four silver and nine bronze medals at the south Asian Games held in 2004, 2006 and 2007. These wins came when she was twelve, fourteen and fifteen respectively.

She earned the highest number of points by a female swimmer (23) at the South Asian Championships in Islamabad in July this year. She won a silver in her pet 100 meters butterfly event and another in the 4x100 medley relay. Her timing of 1.10.95 in the butterfly event was a new Sri Lankan national record.

15 year old Miniruwani is an extremely busy young girl and, as her mother puts it, “She keeps her parents busy, too”. The swimmer spent her early years at Hillwood before switching to Gateway College, initially for a year. However she has come to stay at Gateway.

Training is from 6.30 to 8.00 in the morning at the Peradeniya university pool, and from 5-7 in the evening at any pool that’s available, usually the one at Trinity. Trinity's Coach U.G. Pemlath has a hand in her development. But one suspects that the biggest influence is her mother. Replying to a query from the Kandy Times as to why swimmers from Kandy are in the forefront at national level, Miniruwani feels that her peers in Kandy are more dedicated and work harder, though the facilities are limited. The fact that they train at a higher attitude than their counterparts from Colombo is also helpful.

A look at her other credentials makes one’s mind boggle. She is invariably the first in her class. Completing the professional graduate Diploma of the British Computer Society at the age of fifteen is another stupendous achievement of Miniruwani. She probably is the youngest in the world to complete this graduate Diploma.

Another terrific achievement is performing the Bharatha Natya Arangetram at the age of seven years. She has won many certificates of excellence from the Sri Lanka - India Cultural Association for guest performances in Bharata Dancing. Kandyan Dancing, too, is right up her street.

A Presidents Guide with 32 proficiency budges, Miniruwani must be feeling that a day should last more than twenty four hours. On the literary front, she has won many all Island Essay Competitions and published a book of poems - “The world through my Eyes”. Versatility personified and the living embodiment of the ancient Latin tag - mens Sana in Corpore Sano!

As for the future, Miniruwani is striving with night and main, and with total dedication to win a place in Sri Lankan squad for the Beijing Olympics. She was part of the Sri Lankan team for the last Asian Games in Doha, Qatar and says her team captain Susanthika Jayasinghe is very helpful, sincere and completely devoid of airs, as for heroes, her choice is Michael Phelps. She is full of gratitude to her Principal Mr. Asoka Herath who sometimes bends the rules to accommodate her busy schedule.