Meet A 'Motivational Swimmer'
There were a few people in the pool, but one gent stood out. He was fit and muscular and swam well, moving swiftly across the length of the pool. His swimming reminded me of my younger days when¡ªbefore the tummy showed up¡ªI too could swim fast.
Yes, you read that right. It is not a typo, saying swimmer instead of speaker.
I met such a gentleman in a hotel.
When not at home base, we pilots get to stay in hotels, sometimes in nice ones. But our routine is strenuous and timings are odd, often with minimum rest between flights. Yet we must keep our medical fitness because of the nature of the job.
Unsplash
But staying fit becomes harder with age. And dieting is especially difficult in a hotel because of the sheer variety of the food laid out. I mean, at home, who will put a dozen different desserts in front of you and then ask you to not touch any?
With the six-monthly medicals coming up soon, I woke up early, rather reluctantly, and went to the gym.
So here I was on my day off, not at home but in a hotel, stomping on the treadmill and cursing my life and work because it was the 12th day away from home with 7 more to go.
In frustration, I increased the speed of the treadmill.
There is a large glass window in front of the treadmill offering a view of the hotel building, lawns, and the swimming pool.
Avinash Chikte
There were a few people in the pool, but one gent stood out. He was fit and muscular and swam well, moving swiftly across the length of the pool.
His swimming reminded me of my younger days when¡ªbefore the tummy showed up¡ªI too could swim fast.
I watched that swimmer with a mixture of jealousy and admiration, till¡
¡ till he stopped swimming and walked up the steps of the pool.
And I stopped the treadmill to stare at him in awe.
No, he is not a film star, cricketer, or any celebrity¡ªat least none that I know.
Yet I wondered how to approach and talk to that man.
I requested the gym instructor to ask if I could have a word with him.
The instructor returned with a smile, saying the swimmer was a guest staying in the hotel and would come up to the gym to meet me after changing.
Since the gym is on the first floor, I quickly finished my exercise and went down the stairs to wait for him.
When he came out of the changing room, I stood up and saluted him.
He seemed embarrassed, but politely shook my hand. And then we chatted.
He has done BE, M Tech from IIT Madras, and MBA, plus has a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. He works as a consultant for foreign multinationals.
After exercising daily, he goes to work, driving his own car.
Avinash Chikte
A childhood bout of polio has left him with a limp, but that has not stopped him from achieving anything.
Is it difficult, inconvenient, problematic, and irritating?
It is, but he blanks out the negatives and concentrates on the positives in every situation and indeed in life, he told me.
In just a few minutes, he taught me a lesson: stay fit and be grateful for everything you have.
His name is Abhishek Mandvikar, but for me he will always be the Motivational Swimmer.
Because I sure am motivated.
Aren¡¯t you?
So, what¡¯s your excuse?
The writer is a former fighter pilot of the IAF and is now a commercial airline pilot. He is the author of three novels and many blog posts, available at www.avinashchikte.com
