Swimming at seventy

BENGALURU: Septuagenarian Jayshree T began competitive swimming at the age of 60. She has represented Karnataka in multiple competitions over the course of the past decade. The seniormost woman aquatic contestant in Bengaluru is now going international and recently represented India at Kazakhstan where she won five gold medals.
At seventy, most people would be thinking of a life of relaxation and playing with the grandchildren – while watching their favourite soaps on TV.Some go on pilgrimages. Others have Tambola nights. But for Jayshree T, that way of life just wasn’t enough.
The seventy-year old has just returned from Kazakhstan. And not, it wasn’t a tourist visit. She came back with five gold medals from the Masters Aquatic Championship, representing India.
Starting at 60
Jayshree lives in a lovely 75-year-old house, which shares a wall with the ITC Windsor Manor hotel on Sankey road. Across the road is the Bangalore Golf Club. And as you enter the house, you’ll see a series of medals and certificates – won for swimming – and only over the past decade. Because Jayshree began swimming competitively only at the age of 60.
“I was always active in sports. I mainly played golf and squash. I used to be quite the athlete in my younger days. I used to swim, too – but that was more as a leisure activity. I began swimming much more regularly after I developed knee problems – and this was when I turned 60,” she says.
Jayshree’s ability at the pool soon caught the eye of the Bangalore Club house coach Cherian. He encouraged her to turn her attention to competitive swimming events.
Initially, Jayshree had her doubts. But after giving the matter some thought, she decided to take the plunge – literally – in 2008. One key reason for her decision was the support and encouragement she recieved from her daughter, Anasuya Alva, a state level swimmer and triathlon champ who had represented Karnataka. With her daughter cheering her on, Jayshree started practicing for competitive events.
“I took part in a Karnataka state meet in the 60 to 64 age category and won six gold medals in my maiden attempt. The victory boosted my confidence and I started competing in more national events in the senior category and attended swimming ties in Indore, Rajkot, Hyderabad and rest of the country,” says Jayshree. Her specialty is the breaststroke, an event where she has clocked 1.09 minutes on the 50 metre stretch.
Kazakhstan calling
Having won many medals at the national level, the Bengalurean was craving to compete on the international front. The chance for that came in the form of the Indo-Kazakhstan aquatic meet held at Almaty city on February 11, 2018. “A total of 42 swimmers formed the Indian team to the Kazakhstan meet including seven from Karnataka,” says Jayshree.
She was the senior most member of the Indian contingent to the former Soviet republic. After landing in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and former capital, on February 8 with the team, Jayshree spent a few days sightseeing before hitting the heated indoor pool where the aquatic dash was scheduled. Entering her maiden international event and being elevated to the 70 to 74 age category made the septuagenarian extremely nervous. “It was out of India and against foreign contestants of the highest order. I was standing there with butterflies in my stomach,” she says, smiling.
Standing on the Kazakhstan arena representing India, Jayshree’s nervousness multiplied tenfold after the organisers announced that she has to complete all her five events including the 50 m breaststroke, 50 m freestyle, 50 m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 4x100 m medley relay on the same day. “I have never competed in so many events on a day. But there I had to and I couldn’t let down my team. So I overcame my nervousness and went into the pool with a cool mind, and I wasn’t expecting to win,” says Jayshree who triumphed in all categories against her Kazakhstani counterparts.
Even though the senior swimmer is ecstatic about what she managed to achieve, she is unhappy over the lack of support from the Karnataka government towards aquatic events, especially those competed by senior citizens. “While rest of the Indian contingent to Kazakhstan. especially in Telangana, were felicitated for the feat by their state governments, we didn’t receive a work of appreciation from the authorities here,” she says.
Having returned home a winner in her class, Jayshree is seriously contemplating taking part in more international events this year.