Sky is the limit

Srian OBEYESEKERE

For one who has her eyes and body focused on the water she wades through to breast triumph in a sport she confesses she enjoys getting into the pool and competing and trying to win when all the hard work pays off, certainly at age 18 the sky is the limit.

Many parts

Miniruwani Samarakoon

If the challenging waters are her beckoning call to reach out to competitive levels that churns out champion stuff, oriental dancing and music and studies are similarly compelling spheres that has made Sri Lanka's champion swimmer Miniruwani Samarakoon, women's dolphin and butterfly champion, a busy body, reaching tall heights in life.

"Swimming is my life blood," enthuses Miniruwani whose idol is Michael Phelps whom 'I try to emulate.'

But oriental dancing and music and studies are not second," confesses this Gateway International A.L. student counting 11 A's, 8 of which are A-pluses, who is Sri Lanka's women's dolphin specialist ranked No.1 in that field and the overall Open National Champion who is incidentally the youngest degree holder from the British Computer Society when she was 15 years in 2007.Apart from her international achievements - 13 SAF Games medals - Miniruwani marvels at two feats of hers - breaking Mayumi Rahim's 50 metres butterfly record and the 100 metres national record held by Purnima Sundereson.

Special

"While Mayumi's record was special to me, the longstanding record held by Purnima was as much. In fact, I was not even born when she swam to that record," is how Miniruwani reacts to those efforts of hers - all contributory factors to making her the queen of the waters at that level in Sri Lanka.Her secret in staying at the top is doing that extra bit. "I always make it a point to watch Michael Phelps videos and perfect myself," reveals Miniruwani who was placed 27th at the World Championships in 2008 in the 200 metres butterfly event.

Training abroad as much as the opportunities would permit have also helped Miniruwani, holder of 50 age group records, to stay at the top. But to reach there has not been easy having to swim through a tide of ups and downs that come with the sport, overcoming various odds outside the swimming pool - obstacles; the harsh realities of sports, usually part and parcel of the elk. For this, Miniruwani and her parents are ever thankful to Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge for being far-sighted in being able to look largely on the merits of her performances in giving her due recognition.

Olympic dream

To qualify for the Olympics is the demanding hurdle that she is working on. But to get there, she knows is no mean task.

"It is a really difficult task. For that I have to improve on my timings. The immediate setbacks are not having the necessary resources," admits Miniruwani hoping that for a start, that "somebody would grant me a scholarship which would go a long way."