PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
Nestled in the picturesque Kumaon hills, Nainital has remained a highly famous tourism hub, but now it is also becoming a training hub for international swimming competitions. The Naini Lake, the defining heart of the town, is presently witnessing a big dream, where the open water swimmer Tanvi Chavan-Devare (Tanu), a resident of Nashik, Maharashtra, is practicing for hours. Her next goal is to cross the North Channel, considered one of the world’s most difficult sea routes.
In 2024, a mother of two children, Tanu achieved a major milestone by crossing the English Channel in approximately 17 hours and became the first Indian mother to cross it.
Swimming continuously in lake’s cold waters is challenging, but Tanu’s determination is stronger than the odds she faces. She says she spends hours daily swimming in the lake to hone her physical stamina, endurance and mental strength. “Naini Lake’s cold water and the unpredictable weather here provide the perfect training for braving the challenging conditions like the North Channel,” she added.
“The English Channel is considered one of the most dangerous waterways in the world, where cold water, strong currents and unpredictable weather test swimmers. But the North Channel is even more challenging. The water temperature is even lower; the currents are stronger and there is also the danger of marine life,” she said.
Asked why she has chosen Nainital for her training, she said that the natural environment, cool and clear water and high-altitude lake experience prepare her for realistic ocean conditions.
Tanu’s coach, Srikanth Viswanathan, who had himself crossed the English Channel in 2018 and was awarded the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award in 2021, says that the environment in Nainital boosts athletes’ confidence and prepares them for bigger goals.
But along with Tanu and inspired by her, some young swimmers are now participating in this rigorous under-water exercise. A 14-year-old Arnav is one of them. He, who dreams of crossing the English Channel in the future, is also testing his abilities in cold water. “This training is crucial for the competitions scheduled in June and July,” he said.
This aside, children, associated with a club that offers swimming and other water adventure training at Naini Lake, come to boost Tanu’s confidence. A senior functionary of the club, Yashpal Rawat said that these children are trained in swimming, kayaking and other water sports at Naini Lake. “Tanu is an inspiration for all of them to dream big and achieve big,” he added.
