Mirror Magazine - Floating in Gold

Introducing this year’s youngest and most commendable Sri Lankan swimming teams in the history of our participation in the South Asian Games…

Starting off the young achievers, is the golden girl herself, talented young Mayumi Raheem (14), with her stupendous haul of 10 medals – three Gold, five Silver and two Bronze! Winning Gold for the 50m, 100m and 200m Breast Stroke events, Silvers for 50m freestyle, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay, 200m individual medley and Bronze for the 400m individual medley and 100m freestyle, Mayumi comes across as quite a regular teenager.

Now residing in Singapore, Mayumi trains throughout the year, under her coach Jaan Murphy, irrespective of there being meets or not. However, she does take breaks now and then if necessary, but generally plays it by ear, she says. “I hope to be a doctor someday, as many of my cousins are doctors and it seems to be fun but, it also seems to be a lot of hard work,” she adds. In her spare time, she manages to squeeze in netball, touch rugby, reading, shopping and going out with friends. However, sometimes sacrifices have to be made as she has to concentrate on her training and studies.

Sharing Mayumi’s ‘Golden Glory’ is Andrew Abeysinghe (15), who bagged two golds for the 100m and 200m backstroke events at the SAG. His dedication to swimming is so much that he’s missed just three practices in the past three years.

“Initially my dad wanted me to start taking swimming lessons, (ironically enough) so I could overcome my fear of the water,” he said with a smile. Even though he didn’t have a very good start to his swimming career, he gradually worked himself up to the number one spot in 200 yard backstroke event, in the whole of the USA, thus making him the 11th fastest ever in his age group.

Training throughout the week, it’s amazing how Andrew also finds enough time not just to study, in order to keep him an honour student (straight A’s) at that. Nothing keeps him away from training, not even a cold, cough or even fever, he says adding, that he even does his homework by the pool whilst waiting for his dad to finish his coaching. The eldest of four boys, (who all swim by the way), Andrew’s coached both by his father, Manoj Abeysinghe a former swimmer and coach Kevin Weldon.

Strapping young Milinda Wickramasinghe (18), Captain of the swimming team, having won three Bronze medals for the 50m Dolphin, 4x100m Freestyle and 4x200m Freestyle is rightfully quite pleased with his performance at the games this year. Swimming from the age of seven, Milinda has been a part of the St. Joseph’s College swimming squad, (of which he is now also the Captain), for more than ten years. This being his second time representing Sri Lanka at the South Asian Games, he was also part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team in 2004 (where he was the baby of the team) that was placed fourth.

Training all year long under national coach Ruwan Manawadu, Milinda was also the youngest swimmer to earn the title of Overall National Champion at just 16, he said. He was also the only male swimmer to represent the country at the World Championships in Montreal in 2005, he captained the men’s national team that took part in the Asian Age Groups in Bangkok also in 2005 and was part of the swimming team that was sent to the Commonwealth Games held in Australia earlier this year.

Coming from quite a “sporty” family, with his father and sister having played basketball for Sri Lanka and a mother who’s played netball for school, its seems only logical that Milinda too should have followed suit! In the little free time he has between swimming and studies, “I like to chat with friends, mail, watch TV and listen to music,” he said smiling.

The unassumingly charming Heshan Unamboowe (14) (who made me wish I was 10 years younger…) with his haul of five medals – Silver for 4x100m medley and Bronze for 200m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 4x100m freestyle relay and the 4x200m freestyle relay, seems to have had quite a good run at SAG 2006.

Winner of the All Island Pentathlon Championships and the National Age Group Championships for seven consecutive years now and having broken around 40 national and school records, Heshan’s track record is nothing short of outstanding! Virtually a ‘Water Baby’, he started swimming when he was just four and has been training under his two school coaches U.H. Pemlath and U.H. Sugath at his Alma Mater, Trinity College.

Describing his experience at the SAG, being his first international meet, he says “it was great, especially being up against such tough competition as the Indian swimmers. I enjoyed myself thoroughly,” he said enthusiastically. This aspiring pilot says he likes to read almost anything and everything in his free time and adds that “my parents have been a huge support for me and I couldn’t have done any of this without them.”

Bronze medalist for the 800m freestyle event, Imara Fahim (15) from the Elizabeth Moir School, swims for the Rainbow Aquatic Club under former Lankan swimming star, Julian Bowling. “It’s been really fun training together as a team over the past 2 ½ months under our Australian coach Dragan Popadich, I really learnt a lot,” she said. The training had been quite tough though, she added.

Currently following economics for her A/L’s, she says it’s very hard to manage both training and studies together but that she manages to balance the two somehow. She too likes to watch movies, chat online and listen to music when she’s taking a break, she says smiling.

The care-free, lanky, swimmer Daniel Lee (16), with Silvers for the 100m free style, 50m free style and 4x100m medley relay and Bronze for the 4x200m freestyle relay and 4x100m freestyle relay, is quite the entertainer.

Having trained in Australia for the past 1 ½ years under coach Jim Fowlie, he even achieved his personal best at this years SAG which was also his first time participating in the Games. “I was quite happy with my performance at the Games”, he said gleefully.

He trains seven days a week, particularly as there are small regional state meets almost every weekend, he says. However, his coach gives him some training sessions off, so he can keep up with school work, he adds.

“In my free time I either watch movies, listen to music or study but it winds up more movies and music than studies…anyway…” he chuckled. On a more serious note, he says “I’ve always been inspired by the Army, because it’s such a team effort and just knowing that there’s always someone watching your back. I definitely want to do the whole ‘Army course’ sometime when I get the chance.”

As far as future aspirations go, he simply says “I like to take one step at a time, but winning a Gold medal at the Olympics someday would be nice!”