I met a visually handicapped new A/L student at the 2006 Royal Thomian Cricket match, when he came to watch the game with a teacher. During the morning session I established a dialogue introducing myself for what I was known mostly, the coach of S. Thomas’ College Rowing team. He was introduced as Ishan Jalill and proved to be a good conversationalist. When discussing sport he got me very excited, telling me how he enjoyed “watching the 2004 Olympic Games” on TV. While chatting, I remembered the story of Aerial Gilbert, a Nurse who suffered a tragedy leaving her visually handicapped, but achieving great milestones in competitive Adaptive Rowing. A spark kept nagging at my thoughts. If Aerial could row, maybe this young boy could too. I quote and marvel at three heroines with my students training with me. They are Aerial Gilbert, Silken Laumann and Helen Keller. These three legendary ladies have inspired to help my students, including my two daughters, to challenge the impossible.

Ishan Jalil training at the gaym. - Pic by Ranjith Perera

Deciding to word my thoughts, I asked Ishan if he liked to try competitive rowing. I was aware that, if he agreed, my task was not going to be easy, considering that he was born visually handicapped unlike Ms. Gilbert. He may not know what involvement I was asking him. His reaction was different to what I anticipated. He put the question back to me challenging my confidence for a second. He simply asked, “Will you promise not to let me drown?” I have known people moving away from responsibility after a while. Perhaps Ishan had similar experience. However, in response I outlined my training plans. If he felt comfortable, we decided to give it a try.

We discussed the type of training he had to put in, to become an oarsman of S’ Thomas’ College’s elite rowers. This was serious training. He had to be able to run for at least one hour on the beach and strength train in the gym apart from the regular assessments on a Concept 2 Ergometer machine, to ensure that as an athlete he was fit to be selected to row in Crew. These are pretty daunting stuff even for the regular athlete. He understood that there would be no special considerations at selections. He had to trade punches with the rest of the trainees vying for a place in crew. Ishan was willing to go through all of this and accept the outcome of the results, provided he received the necessary training. I was sure he knew nothing of what was ahead of him and what a boat or an oar looked like, and importantly how to acquire a sense of balance in the boat.

On a Monday, he turned up at the club with his father. Senior Mr. Jalill was always around and very supportive of Ishan’s activities. I took over responsibilities of training, having spoken with the father, assuring it was safe for Ishan to start rowing. It was established that Ishan had done sport at the Blind School and was in safe physical condition to undergo training. All newcomers were introduced to the stationery boat secured to the side of the pier. My first task with Ishan was to let him touch a boat and make him get a feel of a rowing boat and the oar while explaining the self-righting effects produced by modern equipment. He was absorbing and visualizing every spoken detail, creating his own image of the intended activity. He would be tried only in the stroke position as it was easier for others to follow his rhythm than the other way around. Explaining rhythm to him was the easiest task as he was a talented singer, having gone quite far with the Sirasa Super-Star programme as well. The Two, Three and Four beats in music were to explain to him the changing cadence in Rowing. That made sense to him and he took to it like a duck to water.

Other athletes easily accepted Ishan, who was of decent physique and challenging. He had to trust others who would guide him to the edge of the pier to step into the boat and to do his strength training in the gym. The most arduous task was the long endurance running. He understood that there would be no obstacles he would trip on and injure himself. I was asking him for an enormous amount of trust, not only in me but in other boys as well. Two boys would run on either side of Ishan maintaining a dialogue ensuring that help was simply at an elbow’s distance. He would falter for the slightest moment initially, when waves wrapped round his ankles. One day a big wave could not be avoided and we were completely drenched. He was ecstatic. The Mount Lavinia beach was the safest place for this exercise and soon everybody was familiar and comfortable with the programme. Literally everything he had to do was new to him and the others had to chip in taking turns. This was possible as Rowing is a very strong Team Sport. I must say that the young Thomians were a very descent set of children and that I was very proud to be their coach. The Team Captain led by example. The moments of pressure closer to selection were sorted without much difficulty.

I must say that Ishan was taking the punches quite well indicating to the others that he was not going to be a push-over on account of his handicap. We have two regattas for the Annual Royal Thomian encounter. In that, the week before the main event, a pre-battle is rowed providing an opportunity for those who missed being selected for the main event. Ishan was no match for the highly professional heavy weights in the game but he turned out to be a very good second and found his way to crew in the “Pre Battle”, without sympathy.

It was a treat to watch the Thomian boat being led by Ishan throwing a strong challenge at a tough Royal outfit, which wouldn’t give or take any quarter. The Thomian “D” crew with Ishan, rowed down Beira Lake amidst loud cheers by all present, in their closely fought defeat to the victorious Royalists. Of course, he and the rest of us were sad we lost the race. That too got added to life’s experiences.

“Given the opportunity I would Row again” said Ishan, many months later. If Sri Lanka had opportunity to launch the Adaptive Rowing programme with FISA (the parent body), I am certain there would be many beneficiaries. Today, Ishan is studying International Relations, Economics and English at the University of Colombo.

He could be contacted at ishanj@live.com on email or at 0777532381 on mobile phone.
Ajith Goonawardene - ajith.rowing@gmail.com