Mayur learns to ride the waves

And from Jagipur Barrage to Goru Bazar, covering an 81-km distance. In fact, he swims more distances than he walks.

Recently, Mayur swam the Strait of Gibralter, from Spain to Morocco. Nothing great for him.

Only that he became the fastest Indian, Asian and the third fastest in the world to do the distance of 22.2 kms. And he was not even eligible to swim the Strait. He was allowed only because he has a brilliant history of long distance sea swimming.

Having learnt swimming at the age of 10 his father had to wage a mini battle with the officials and drag them to court to allow his son to swim in Kalidas Sports Complex, Mulund West, Mayur took to the sea like a dolphin.

His first success came in the Sri Chinmoy World Champions Marathon in Switzerland8217;s Zurich Lake, a distance of 26.4 kms. His next venture was with older brother Vishal. They had a relay swimseries around Mumbai, covering 185 kms, swimming three hours at a stretch. It is the world8217;s longest relay sea swim, bettering the 182.807 kms by 20 swimmers in 1983.

The Dharamtar Jetty to Gateway of India stretch has now become the sole preserve of Mayur, having swum the distance of 35 kms eight times. The first four times, it was a one-way effort. Then having broken his own record five hours, 40.3 minutes and with boredom creeping in, Mayur swam two legs 8212; Gateway to Dharamtar and back 8212; twice.

He has also swum the 81-km stretch between Jangipore Barrage to Gora Bazar Ghat, the world8217;s longest competitive distance, twice. There are the usual five, 12, and 20-km distances he does from time to time.

So what drives Mayur to swim such distances. 8220;I love distance swimming,8221; comes a simple answer from the strong and unassuming 15-year-old.

8220;When I set a goal, I like to cross it, even if it takes the best out of me,8221; he says.

Mayur8217;s preparations for marathon swimming are mostly mental. 8220;Myfather is my coach, he prepares me mentally for the challenge.8221;

He practices in the Kalidas pool in Mulund. 8220;I am always doing laps and more laps of the pool. Prior to a big event, my mind takes over. I imagine being in the open sea and put in hard work,8221; he says.

Surprisingly, there is no fear, even when he undertook his first sea swim.

8220;I know my coach is in the boat beside me. Sharks appear only in movies. There are problems like the swell and the strong current. Once you learn to ride the waves, you will enjoy swimming. But the problem of currents remains.8221;

8220;Sometimes you swim for 20 minutes and then realise that you are in the same spot. But with experience, I have learnt to pinch a ride on the current too,8221; explains Mayur.

The Strait of Gibralter presented Mayur with a new problem 8212; the temperature of the water. 8220;It was very cold. I am used to swimming in temperatures of 25 degree Celsius. The water in the Strait was so cold, it was a struggle to keep my body warm.8221;

Mayur sufferedfrom cramps in the final stretch of the Strait. 8220;In the final 200 metres, I started suffering from cramps. It took me nearly 30 minutes to touch-down.8221;

For a boy who has achieved so much, Mayur is a relative non-entity in his college. 8220;I have hardly attended lectures in college GN Vaze. Once I start attending lectures, maybe8230;8221;

The one swim attempt that will do wonders to his popularity will be the English Channel. And Mayur already has his sights set firmly on the Channel.