At 81, Subbalakshmi keeps winning medals after taking up swimming at 68

When 81-year-old Subbalakshmi returns home after a swimming competition, her family rarely asks how the event went. They ask, “How many medals did you get this time?”The most remarkable aspect of her story is not the number of podium finishes, but that she discovered the sport only at the age of 68.

What started as a casual exchange with her grandson has transformed into a passion that has taken her across the country and around the world. During a visit from her grandchildren who live in the United States, she accompanied them to a swimming pool and scolded her younger grandson for chatting instead of swimming.”He asked me, ‘Ammama, do you know swimming? You don’t know, but you are commanding me. First you learn swimming and then scold me. Otherwise, you have no right to scold me,'” she recalled.

Coincidentally, her doctor had advised swimming after a knee replacement surgery. With encouragement from coach MM Rao, she decided to try. Her late husband bought her first swimming costume.

Within two months, she had mastered all strokes and entered her first competition, winning four gold medals.

Since then, she has competed in more than 50 events and won medals at almost every competition. Now competing in the 80-84 age category, she has represented India in Dubai, Singapore and South Korea. Earlier this month, she returned from a national competition in Coimbatore with three more medals.

“When I am swimming, I spend one hour without thinking about anything else except swimming,” she said.

Coach Rao said, “She is an inspiration to all of us, and we are all so proud of her.”