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.
This story is from the December 08, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 08, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Crawford Wins Singles Championship
OLIVER Crawford from Great Britain and 23-year-old Eric Vanshelboim of Ukraine treated the 300-plus spectators who turned up at the SDAT Tennis Stadium to two hours and forty-three minutes of exhilarating tennis in the final of the BR Adityan ITF M25 Men's International Tennis Championships.
David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham Join Supergirl
Emily Beecham, who was last seen in the Netflix series 1899 and Oppenheimer-fame David Krumholtz, have joined the cast of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. They will portray Supergirl's parents.
SPECULATIVE FICTION'S BIG, BOLD STATEMENT
On a crisp January evening, the free community library at Masoodpur in South Extension transformed into a portal of another dimension. Writers, students, artists, and curious young minds gathered to witness the launch of The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste Speculative Fiction.
IIT-M director praises 'gomutra', gets a stinker
IIT Madras director V Kamakoti is facing severe flak for endorsing 'gomutra' (cow urine) for its \"medicinal value\" and its alleged ability to cure conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and fever.
INDIAN OPTIMISM AWAITING A TRUMPIAN ORDER
We are dealing with a superpower seeking to reconcile multiple interests in a challenging global environment. Convergence of interests does not translate to a congruence of actions
Suspected Hooch Claims Six Lives in 'Dry' Bihar
At least six people died allegedly after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar's West Champaran district during 36 hours on Sunday.
Rain sinks 50K ha of samba in coastal delta
FARMERS in the coastal delta region are worried as sudden, unseasonal rainfall in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts and Puducherry's Karaikal in the past two days has left their harvest-ready samba paddy under water.
'It Is rare to see genuine criticism for a film these days'
Director Vishnu Varadhan and debut actor Akash Murali talk about Nesippaya, nepotism, their definition of romance, and more
AIR to help mitigate man-animal conflicts in MP
COUNTRY'S public radio broadcaster, the All India Radio (AIR-Akashvani) has a new role to play in Madhya Pradesh - alerting people about movement of wild animals, including elephants, tigers and leopards to prevent human-animal conflicts and related casualties.
Gunfight breaks out in Baramulla, first this year
A gunfight between security forces and terrorists broke out on Sunday in Sopore area of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, the first encounter this year.
