Arifa VK was 67 years old when she accompanied her grandchildren to a swimming club in Aluva, Kerala. Inspired by what she saw, Arifa expressed her desire to join the students. In 16 days, she learned enough to graduate from her class with honors. She made news when she swam across the Periyar, hijab in place, in 2021. The next year, at the age of 70, she crossed the river again, this time with her hands tied.
Arifa's teacher, Saji Valassery, is known across India for teaching the ABCs of swimming. The 60-year-old, who established Valasseril River Swimming Club in 2010, has trained thousands, even people with disabilities, to swim in the Periyar, completely free of cost. "In 2009, the Thekkady boat tragedy happened. A double decker boat carrying 78 tourists capsized, and 45 people died. That's when I decided to teach people swimming free of cost," says Valassery, who runs a furniture shop.
Esta historia es de la edición December 08, 2024 de The New Indian Express Tirunelveli.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 08, 2024 de The New Indian Express Tirunelveli.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A SLIPPERY SLOPE & SILENT EPIDEMIC
NOOP, a bright young man from Kottayam, had high hopes when he landed a job at a reputed IT company in Bengaluru through campus placement. Hailing from a middle-class family, his success was seen as a beacon of promise for his future. But within two years of joining the firm, Anoop found himself staring at a disheartening email from HR—his dismissal owing to poor performance.
GREEN CORNER IN BOXING DAY BOUT
MCG curator says grass on the surface should excite pacers
Scrap dealer's son Sairaj claims gold
SAIRAJ Pardeshi was pretty clear what he had to become when he was only eight.
Naveen & Lokesh one hit away from national glory
IT was a mixed outing for shuttlers from Tamil Nadu in the ongoing Senior National Badminton Championships in Bengaluru on Monday.
Hyderabad FC squander 2-goal lead to suffer loss
HYDERABAD FC have endured a difficult run in the ongoing Indian Super League so far. And things turned from bad to worse on Monday.
Adani Defence acquires 85.8% in Air Works
ADANI DEFENCE Systems & Technologies Ltd. (ADSTL) in acquiring 85.8% shareholding in Air Works (AWIEPL), India's largest private sector MRO company with the largest pan-India footprint, said the Adani Group company on Monday. ADSTL will acquire the stake at an enterprise value of ₹400 crore.
Razorpay grants employees ₹1L ESOPs to mark 10-yr of operation
FINTECH major Razorpay is awarding employee stock option plans (ESOPs) worth ₹1 lakh to all its current employees as part of its 10 years celebration.
Honda-Nissan to be 3rd-largest carmaker
JAPANESE auto giants Honda and Nissan have announced plans to merge operations, creating the world's third-largest automaker by sales, trailing only Toyota and Volkswagen.
Women represent 20% of crypto exchange CoinDCX's high networth customers
WITH the increasing adoption of cryptocurrency, women are now representing 20% of crypto exchange CoinDCX's HNI (high net-worth individual) customers.
GST rate hike: Used car market faces challenges
Experts say rate hike from 12-18% to impact second-hand vehicle biz
