Bhakti Sharma, the world’s youngest swimmer to cross all the five oceans and seven seas, credits her success to her mother-cum-coach leena Sharma. She speaks to S Mallik
The only reason Bhakti Sharma could achieve the title of ‘champion swimmer’ is that her mother happens to be her swimming coach. Bhakti was encouraged to pursue swimming as a serious sport since she was two and a half. Today she is known as the world’s youngest swimmer to swim across the icy waters of Antarctic Ocean in a record time of 41.1 minutes. “When you are being trained by any one of your parents, you tend to give a special importance to a sport. Even when I was not in the pool, I had my mother talking about the tricks over dinner. So I was living with the sport,” says the 25-year-old.
Bhakti may credit her mother, leena Sharma, for her success, but the latter thinks otherwise. “It is only her calm composure and will power that helped her achieve so much. She has surely make us proud,” says leena. She recalls, “When she was young we went for a state level competition. As a coach, I noted speed and timing of other contestants. I told her about one swimmer and her timing but it did not bother her. She told me, ‘Mumma, it does not bother me. I will give my best.’ She received a gold medal.”
leela calls herself “impatient” while her daughter “is an epitome of patience.” That perhaps works best for their relationship. “I always plan things in advance and she does it with ease. But we always enjoy our swim trips as mother and child. The best part is that we both encourage each other,” shares leela, not forgetting to mention that the biggest factor that binds them together is trust. Bhakti says, “A mother-daughter relationship transcends all barriers of love, care, respect and trust. Without trust, a relationship is not worthwhile and I have complete faith on my mother.”
In 2008, leena and Bhakti set a record for being the first mother-daughter pair to swim across the English channel. “It was a priceless moment,” says the daughter, “because, I knew it was difficult for my mother to start swimming again at that age so I tried to give her all the assurances that I could.” They failed in their first attempt but leena fought for another chance. “She helped me understand that nothing, no fight, is over until one gives up,” Bhakti says, hoping to imbibe her mother’s never-say-die attitude some day.
leena might have coached and encouraged her daughter in the sport but she never imagined that her “water baby” would go so far and achieve so much at such a young age. “She has always been focussed — never willing to extend or cut short her practice time. As a daughter she is very supportive. She always has been, and still is, a very obedient child. She was good in studies even after hours of swim. She always kept faith in me as a coach and as a mother,” leena ends.