Differently-abled Kerala boy beats all odds to swim across Periyar river

Differently-abled Kerala boy beats all odds to swim across Periyar river

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

January 29, 2022: Nothing is impossible, it may be a cliched line but the fact is, when you have an honest drive to do things in life, nothing can stop you. There are hundreds of examples where people, despite all odds, have gone on to achieve unthinkable feats. One such example is of a 15-year-old differently abled boy named Mohammed Azeem, who swam across a kilometre of the Periyar river. Azeem, who was born without hands, underwent special training to achieve this feat, reported India Today. Azeem received training for two weeks while staying at his coach Saji Valasseril’s house. Saji has been offering free swimming classes to students of all ages for the past 12 years and has trained over 5,000 swimmers, out of which a thousand swam across Periyar.

 

He began offering free swimming classes back in 2010 after a series of drowning incidents shocked the area. Sanji not only trained Azeem but also accompanied him in his swim around the railway bridge in Krozikhode’s Aluva.

 

Kerala | Muhammad Aseem, a 15-yr-old specially-abled boy from Velimanna village, Kozhikode, swam across Periyar River near Aluva Mahadeva Temple

"Thanks to coach for training me to swim so comfortably. Children with disabilities should live like other children," he said (27.01) pic.twitter.com/0DvfDrxqY7

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2022

However, this is not the first time that Saji’s student has achieved such a feat. In February 2020, an 11-year-old visually impaired boy named Manoj R had swum across 600 meters in the Periyar river

Manoj, who was back then a class VII student, had always dreamt of swimming. With Saji’s training, he not only completed his dream but swam across the distance of 600 meters in just 30 minutes. Hundreds including the official of Manoj’s school for the blind and his classmates had gathered around the ghats of Periyar river to see and encourage him to swim.

Speaking to TOI, Manoj’s father Rajesh said that the young boy would often get upset on hearing cheers of kids playing in the river. Manoj always wanted to swim but they were not able to find the right tutor until Saji came into their lives. The 30-day training under Saji not only improved Manoj’s swimming skills but also gave him the confidence to face challenges in life.