Indian father-son duo share fitness secrets to swimmers in Muscat
Niren Philip has trained scores of interested persons to learn swimming in the sea, off Kalbou Park, on weekends. And while continuing his dedicated free service to swimmers in Muscat stay fit, he also helped his own son Ron shape up for a Triathlon. And how!
Scores of seagulls fluttering over the cool, placid waves in the Arabian Sea, off the seafront near Kalbou Park in old Muscat, have to move on yonder on weekends to make way for a batch of swimmers who converge at a favourite spot at 6.30 am…
As wet, glistening lycra and swimming goggles in fluorescent hues, (accompanied by spirited murmurs) provides a red-tide effect on the surface of the sea at this spot, the swimmers – young and not-so-young – guided by a few 'coaches', then begin to romance the waves as they undertake lessons in swimming against the tide.
Some swimmers dexterously glide ahead a few hundred metres, others stay a short distance from the shore learning the strokes and strides. And a good amount of enthusiasm envelopes the arena as many take on their fears or realise their dreams with ease, as they befriend the waters and get acquainted with a new life skill.
'Swimming is a life-saving skill, everyone should learn swimming. And in our group (known as Alawi Swimming Academy) we help people interested in learning swimming to do so in an informal way – we have individuals as well as families joining every weekend,' says Niren Philip (53), an avid swimmer and coach who himself learned swimming in this group some years ago.
An athlete in his younger days, Niren, admits that he faced immense bloating issues after undertaking medication for Asthma while he staying in Bangalore. But after coming to Oman, he joined this group to learn swimming and it completely changed his fitness profile as well as his mindset. He soon shaped up as a swimming coach and over the years shared his skills to help hundreds of swimmers to confront their fears of water and learn swimming.
About the advantage of learning swimming in the sea, Niren said, learning to swim in the sea is easier as buoyancy is better due to the salinity. Also, in a pool, the expanse of water is limited and one gets a grip of bars along the edge after a certain distance, unlike the sea which is limitless and swimmers learn to stay afloat without holding onto anything. For safety, however, newcomers use buoys and stay closer to the shore, he assured.
Niren has also taken part in Ironman events in Muscat, along with other team mates – who took up the cycling and running sections while he did the swimming part. He also taught his son Ron Philip to shape up as a good swimmer and guided him to take up all three sections of Triathlon events and complete it within a reasonable timeframe.
'In Oman, taking up fitness activities is very important. Many people think, 'will I be able to do it'. One has to overcome this thought and begin. Once you start, your mind and heart takes you to your goal,' he assured, adding that once swimmers prepare the right mindset, their bodies will help them achieve their target.
Dad's the word
Ron Philip shares how his father Niren Philip, not only trained and guided, but also inspired his path to fitness:
Why did you learn swimming – what was your motivation?
Learning swimming was a skill that my Dad wanted me to learn as it would help me survive in water, if ever needed. What motivated me to continue to stick with swimming and try to improve upon it was by watching amateurs and pros swim fast yet make it look effortless and smooth.
Did your Dad train you mentally and physically?
My father played a very big part in training me for all the sports I have ever played. He always motivated me and pushed me on to try different sports, to improve, and guided me through the whole journey. He made me train individually as well as with a coach and provided me guidance to make sure I was ready for any challenge.
Why did you decide to take up triathlons?
By the time I completed my undergraduate studies and shifted back to Muscat, my father had already completed two Ironman Team Relays, so I had a basic idea what triathlons and Ironman Triathlon was. When he suggested that I take up Triathlon as an activity, I felt an interest develop towards it as it consisted of 2 sports that I enjoy (swimming, running) and one that I always wanted to try out (cycling).
So, it felt like getting the best of all worlds. This resulted in me having to train every single day as my dad set me a goal that was the Ironman 70.3 Muscat. The training was either one of the three sports every day and on some days 2 or 3 together. Training started out tough but as it progressed it gave me a keen sense of satisfaction and I enjoyed looking forward to completing the activities every day.
What is your advice to youth in Oman?
The only advice I could give, is to keep playing football as they already do, and also pick up some extra sport, like running swimming, etc to help them become more physically and mentally active. It will help them develop a more systematic and focused routine as they train for these sports.
What is your most recent achievement and your immediate goal?
My most recent achievement was my first Muscat Marathon – Half Marathon. It was a really good experience, I enjoyed seeing the massive crowd, the enthusiasm, and everyone's efforts paying off. It was a tough event, as I was still under recovery after completing the Ironman 2 weeks prior to the marathon, but I did enjoy it. For the time being, I'm focusing on training and staying fit.
'Coach Philip was the one who led me into the deep sea, helping me overcome my fear of the ocean. Thanks to his constant support, I was able to complete the Salalah Ironman successfully,' says Zahid Nadeem Khan.
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