[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Meet Maana Patel, the young swimmer on her way to win for India

Swimming as a profession was never on the charts for Maana Patel, the young swimmer who represented India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Patel started swimming when she was seven years old, after her mother sent her for a summer swimming batch to help her recover from her poor eating habits. 

The more she learnt, the more she was interested. Patel would even maintain a file of her swimming lessons. 

She says, “I was so enthusiastic to learn new things. After coming back from my classes, I would write down everything that I learnt. I was keen on getting better.”

“I absolutely loved being in the water from the very beginning. I felt it was my element,” she adds. 

People soon started noticing her performances at club-level competitions, and praises followed. At 10, she started with competitive swimming, and has continued to do so.  

Competitive swimming and studies, Patel started by balancing the two, taking things one day at a time. 

“I could balance my studies, I would learn everything and end up getting decent marks. This was also why I continued swimming,” she says. 

The turning point

In 2009, Patel broke Shikha Tandon’s national record of 2.26.41, clocking 2.23. 41 in 200 m backstrokes at the Asia Age Group Championship in Tokyo. 

With this—at the age of 13—she became the youngest and the fastest female backstroker in the country, and this came as a turning point in her career. 

She shares, “It was only two and a half years since I had started. I was racing in Hyderabad. After I finished, I heard a roar coming from the stands, and when I looked, everyone was cheering. My coach had tears in his eyes, and he informed me about the record. That is one of the best memories of my swimming career till now.”

“It hit me that I was good at this, and I could do it. That's when I started dreaming of representing India at the Olympics,” she adds.

Building career despite obstacles

At 17, she suffered from a career-threatening injury.

It was the first injury of her career. Support from her parents, coaches and sponsors significantly helped her overcome the difficult phase.

Reflecting back, she says, “When you are at your lowest is when you learn the most and when you come out of it, you emerge as a stronger person. My sport has really taught me mental toughness. When I will be done with it, I am sure life will have other roadblocks waiting for me, but I know that I will be able to face them.”

Patel has balanced sports and education throughout her journey and continues to do so. A BCom Hons graduate from GLS University, Ahmedabad, she is on an academic hiatus, dedicating time to her swimming career at the moment. 

Her message to young athletes is to realise their ability to multitask and act on it. Sideling education is not something that she believes would work in the long run. 

Currently, Patel is preparing for the 2024 Summer Olympics. 

Advising young athletes, she says, “Make sure you enjoy the sport that you pursue. If you are not having fun, then you are not going to win or go far in that field. The second thing is discipline. Talent will only get you so far, but it is your hardwork and discipline that will take you miles and miles. Never stop working hard and do not just focus on the result, you have to focus on the process in order to get there.”