At an age when swimming would be considered an ideal leisure activity, twelve-year-old Maana Patel took to the sport to cope with her poor appetite. A decade later, Patel’s passion for water and the sport catapulted her to represent the country at the Olympics.

Gujarat-based Maana Patel took her childhood passion for swimming to the Olympics last year, subsequently making history as the first Indian woman to represent the country in her category.

Patel clocked in a swim time of 01:03:69 at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Reflecting on her journey at the international sporting event, the national swimmer took to social media to share her progress, her journey and how she did not believe that she has given her very best to the sport.

A year later, true to her words, Patel went on to clock in the ‘Best Indian Time’ at the Canet leg of the prestigious Mare Nostrum swimming meet in France this month. Patel recorded 01:03:69 as her personal best beating her own record from 2020 of 01:03:87 at a swim meet in Belgrade that year.

Maana is set to represent the country at several international swim meets and championships in the coming year.

Follow her journey here.

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