life life is that magical four-letter
word life is full of surprises life is
full of ups and downs life sometime is a
piece of cake life sometime is a hard
rock but life is definitely beyond mere
existence a warm feeling at all
I am Niranjan Mukundan Anand in Paris
Woma an Asian Games medalist a junior
world champion the one nicknamed as the
medal machine of India well all these
achievements keep me going and driving
to achieve at the highest level possible
I derive a lot of satisfaction through
challenges that I’ve faced in my life
and the obstacles that I face in my life
that has got me to where I am today
life puts you into a lot of situations
some situations you handle with your
maturity some situations you don’t even
know from where to start some situation
it traumatizes people who are around you
in one situation I was born I was born
with a unique medical condition named
spina bifida and I had to undergo 16
major surgeries since birth to stand on
my own legs but I was a fighter I never
gave up I always took it in a positive
note and I am where I am today one
afternoon sitting by the corridors in my
school I was talking to myself am I
going to let my parents carry me on my
life am I going to be a spectator all my
life and then I realized that life gives
you a lot of option one such option
which was given to me by the doctor was
to choose between horse riding and
swimming to strengthen my legs as a
small kid looking at that gigantic
figure of a horse I was very scared and
to sit on it and
for a ride was even more scarier so I
opted swimming once when my parents
dipped me in the water
I felt that chill but at the same time I
was very happy each time they dipped me
I felt like a fish in the water usually
where kids take one month one and a half
months to learn swimming I learned it in
two weeks every time when I instructor
put me at the shallow end I used to find
my way to the deep end now when I look
back a lot of instructors lost their job
because of my adventures in one such
adventure I was spotted by the head
coach of the swimming pool he saw a
spark of talent in me he saw a potential
in me he said I could become an
international champion when he convinced
my parents that swimming can be taken
more than therapy my parents were
shocked they were they were they were
not able to take it he said so my son my
kid is not able to stand on land he’s
only able to stand in water and to
represent India in the future is
something beyond our imagination but
when he convinced this four months down
the lane
I represented the state at the Nationals
I did not do well I came back to the
coach and said probably competitive
swimming is not for me and then he spoke
about patience and perseverance are the
key elements for success maybe at that
time I wouldn’t have realized that but
definitely now not just in sport even in
life patience and perseverance are two
key elements for success when I lost a
lot of races it was definitely you know
pinching me I thought I should give up
swimming but that passion towards sports
kept me moving and kept me motivated and
to do well at the international level I
had to set my standards high which began
with the self-discipline I used to train
around 8 to 9 hours a day and my day
used to start at 4:30 a.m. and go on
till 9 a.m. after which I still go to
college and my evening as was a good
swimmer
three two for us and apart from that I
used to do one to two hours of gym that
made me a very confident person to take
up swimming professionally what also
helped me was experience and exposure
I still remember in 2012 I had a good
exposure I had a good record and
swimming which gave me a chance to
represent India I was very confident
enough to face any swimmer irrespective
of his size shape and origin that was
the same year where I won the first
laurels for my country
this is a very proud moment for me to
win a medal for India and that year was
very special to me as I peaked at the
Nationals winning five medals out of
which three were gold with every victory
brings in a higher set of expectations
and during the World Games of all these
years it’s been a test me of hard work
and perseverance in the year 2013 I was
able to grab four medals at
international level and in the year 2014
I was able to grab eight medals in 2014
in the year 2015 which was my personal
best I want ten medals out of which
seven were gold I was crowned as the
junior world champion there out of 40
countries which took part the indian
national anthem was played seven
different times and everyone stood up
each time and once the medal ceremony
was done I was done I was given a guard
of honor and it gave me goosebumps
sometimes when I look back at those
years I can’t imagine if I could have
made it this far but given my condition
I could have probably been at home and
be another ordinary child but I wanted
to take the world challenge I wanted to
prove the world that differently-abled
my biggest dream of all is the Olympics
which still awaits and is my next and
immediate action with this given
condition my parents could have
definitely given up and not taking that
risk of putting me into competitive
swimming but they took up that risk and
took the gamble knowing up that swimming
and sports could open up avenues for me
later in the future life has given me a
lot of situation some positive some
negative some good some bad but it’s
always given me that strength and that
courage to face the world and to stand
apart I might have won a lot of
accolades at this young age but I still
feel that this is just the start and I
have a long way to go I just realized
that I took the words of Dory from this
famous movie Finding Nemo a little
seriously if you all know what it said
when life gets you down you know what
you’re gonna do just keep swimming just
keep swimming just keep swimming thank
you so much [Applause]
word life is full of surprises life is
full of ups and downs life sometime is a
piece of cake life sometime is a hard
rock but life is definitely beyond mere
existence a warm feeling at all
I am Niranjan Mukundan Anand in Paris
Woma an Asian Games medalist a junior
world champion the one nicknamed as the
medal machine of India well all these
achievements keep me going and driving
to achieve at the highest level possible
I derive a lot of satisfaction through
challenges that I’ve faced in my life
and the obstacles that I face in my life
that has got me to where I am today
life puts you into a lot of situations
some situations you handle with your
maturity some situations you don’t even
know from where to start some situation
it traumatizes people who are around you
in one situation I was born I was born
with a unique medical condition named
spina bifida and I had to undergo 16
major surgeries since birth to stand on
my own legs but I was a fighter I never
gave up I always took it in a positive
note and I am where I am today one
afternoon sitting by the corridors in my
school I was talking to myself am I
going to let my parents carry me on my
life am I going to be a spectator all my
life and then I realized that life gives
you a lot of option one such option
which was given to me by the doctor was
to choose between horse riding and
swimming to strengthen my legs as a
small kid looking at that gigantic
figure of a horse I was very scared and
to sit on it and
for a ride was even more scarier so I
opted swimming once when my parents
dipped me in the water
I felt that chill but at the same time I
was very happy each time they dipped me
I felt like a fish in the water usually
where kids take one month one and a half
months to learn swimming I learned it in
two weeks every time when I instructor
put me at the shallow end I used to find
my way to the deep end now when I look
back a lot of instructors lost their job
because of my adventures in one such
adventure I was spotted by the head
coach of the swimming pool he saw a
spark of talent in me he saw a potential
in me he said I could become an
international champion when he convinced
my parents that swimming can be taken
more than therapy my parents were
shocked they were they were they were
not able to take it he said so my son my
kid is not able to stand on land he’s
only able to stand in water and to
represent India in the future is
something beyond our imagination but
when he convinced this four months down
the lane
I represented the state at the Nationals
I did not do well I came back to the
coach and said probably competitive
swimming is not for me and then he spoke
about patience and perseverance are the
key elements for success maybe at that
time I wouldn’t have realized that but
definitely now not just in sport even in
life patience and perseverance are two
key elements for success when I lost a
lot of races it was definitely you know
pinching me I thought I should give up
swimming but that passion towards sports
kept me moving and kept me motivated and
to do well at the international level I
had to set my standards high which began
with the self-discipline I used to train
around 8 to 9 hours a day and my day
used to start at 4:30 a.m. and go on
till 9 a.m. after which I still go to
college and my evening as was a good
swimmer
three two for us and apart from that I
used to do one to two hours of gym that
made me a very confident person to take
up swimming professionally what also
helped me was experience and exposure
I still remember in 2012 I had a good
exposure I had a good record and
swimming which gave me a chance to
represent India I was very confident
enough to face any swimmer irrespective
of his size shape and origin that was
the same year where I won the first
laurels for my country
this is a very proud moment for me to
win a medal for India and that year was
very special to me as I peaked at the
Nationals winning five medals out of
which three were gold with every victory
brings in a higher set of expectations
and during the World Games of all these
years it’s been a test me of hard work
and perseverance in the year 2013 I was
able to grab four medals at
international level and in the year 2014
I was able to grab eight medals in 2014
in the year 2015 which was my personal
best I want ten medals out of which
seven were gold I was crowned as the
junior world champion there out of 40
countries which took part the indian
national anthem was played seven
different times and everyone stood up
each time and once the medal ceremony
was done I was done I was given a guard
of honor and it gave me goosebumps
sometimes when I look back at those
years I can’t imagine if I could have
made it this far but given my condition
I could have probably been at home and
be another ordinary child but I wanted
to take the world challenge I wanted to
prove the world that differently-abled
my biggest dream of all is the Olympics
which still awaits and is my next and
immediate action with this given
condition my parents could have
definitely given up and not taking that
risk of putting me into competitive
swimming but they took up that risk and
took the gamble knowing up that swimming
and sports could open up avenues for me
later in the future life has given me a
lot of situation some positive some
negative some good some bad but it’s
always given me that strength and that
courage to face the world and to stand
apart I might have won a lot of
accolades at this young age but I still
feel that this is just the start and I
have a long way to go I just realized
that I took the words of Dory from this
famous movie Finding Nemo a little
seriously if you all know what it said
when life gets you down you know what
you’re gonna do just keep swimming just
keep swimming just keep swimming thank
you so much [Applause]
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