In a display of extraordinary courage and determination, 52-year-old Shyamala Goli, a native of Samalkot, swam in the sea covering a distance of 150 km from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada. Swimming long distances in the sea is a far more hazardous and challenging task than swimming in an indoor pool. In the sea, there are water currents and high waves, chilly winds, inclement weather, and sea creatures lurking beneath the surface. These factors have to be tackled. But this intrepid woman pulled it off with her willpower.
She later recounted her adventure: “I came across numerous tortoises throughout my journey. It is as if they were interacting with me. The tortoises touched my feet and hands gently. I felt very happy. But the jellyfish scared me and I avoided them. If a jellyfish stings you, it is very painful and may cause complications such as temporary blindness.”
Shyamala had earlier swum across the Palk Strait that separates India from Sri Lanka. Her name can now be listed alongside the legendary sea swimmers of India such as Mihir Sen, Arati Saha, Bula Choudhury, Kutraleeswaran, and Taranath Shenoy. Mihir Sen was the first Indian man to swim across the English Channel, the Palk Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the entire length of the Panama Canal. He was the pioneer who inspired other sea swimmers.
Shyamala’s enterprise of swimming from Vizag to Kakinada spanned five days which she covered 30 km every day. Swimming 30 km is a Herculean task by any standards but she stuck to her schedule for five days and completed what she had set out to do.
Shyamala was a late starter for she began swimming when she was in her mid-forties. She was then running an animation studio in Hyderabad along with her husband but the couple had to close down the venture due to financial constraints. That left her with ample time to devote to swimming which had become her passion.
In 2019, she swam across the Krishna River in Vijayawada and then did the same in the Ganges River at Patna. Next, she conquered the Hooghly River in Kolkata and also represented Telangana at the 2020 FINA World Masters Championship which was held in South Korea.
After her confidence and experience grew, she decided to try one of the greatest challenges for any long-distance swimmer. She braced herself to swim across the Palk Strait that lies between India and Sri Lanka. But then the COVID pandemic got in her way. She was all set to embark upon her mission, a lot of money had been spent and a support crew and their boat had been hired. But just a day before her expedition, the government of Sri Lanka clamped a nationwide lockdown and she had to pull out at the last minute.
But she did not give up. She looked for another opportunity and it finally arrived two years later. In March 2021, at the age of 47, she became the second Indian woman after Bengal’s Bula Choudhury to swim across the Palk Strait. She swam for 13 hours without any break from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka and stepped onto Indian soil at Arichalmunai in Tamil Nadu.
But that was not enough for her. She embarked on one of the hardest swimming journeys a month ago as she set off from Visakhapatnam. When she completed the distance and reached the shore near Kakinada, she set an example for the youth of the country. Her message was clear – nothing is impossible and all barriers can be overcome provided you are determined, have courage, and work hard to achieve your goal.
