Maana Patel is an Indian professional swimmer. She is the first Indian female swimmer to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Maana Patel is considered one of India’s finest swimmers and holds a host of national records.
Wiki/Biography
Maana Patel was born on Saturday, March 18, 2000, in Ahmedabad, India (age 21; as of 2021). Her zodiac sign is Pisces. She attended Udgam Children’s School in Tarteji, Ahmedabad. After completing her primary and secondary education, she attended GLS University, Ahmedabad where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in commerce. Maana Patel started swimming when she was 8 years old.
Maana Patel’s childhood photos with her mother
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Weight (approximately): 60 kg
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Maana Patel was born to Rajiv Patel and Aanal Patel. Her father, Rajiv Patel, is an employee of a private company. Her mother Anal Patel was a housewife. She accompanies Maana to every swimming meet.
Mana Patel and her parents
Coach/Mentor
Kamlesh Nanavati
Maana Patel started swimming under coach Kamlesh Nanavati in the initial stages of her career. Under his guidance, she participated in many national-level swimming competitions.
Nihal Amin
Maana Patel started training professionally for national and international competitions under the guidance of coach Nihar Ameen. In 2015, she moved to Mumbai to join Nihar Ameen Academy and started practicing there.
Maana Patel and her coach Nihar Ameen
Peter Caswell
Maana Patel swims under the guidance of coach Peter Carswell during a special training session with Australia’s Olympic Gold Medal Quest.
Maana Patel with her coach Peter Carswell and his wife
Profession
Maana Patel started practicing swimming at the age of 8. In 2008, her mother enrolled her in summer swimming classes at the Vidyapeeth Swimming Center in Gujarat because as a child, Maana had a poor appetite and she believed that “you eat” after playing in the water. . “At first, Maana did not like practicing swimming, but as time passed, she became interested in swimming. Within two years, Maana Patel began to participate in various club events, swimming with the senior group Athletes compete. In 2011, Maana Patel started practicing swimming professionally under the guidance of Kamlesh Nanavati and participated in various state and national level competitions. In 2011, she won her first national medal.
Maana Patel wins gold in inter-state championships
Maana Patel breaks the national record of 2 minutes 26.41 seconds held by Shikha Tandon at the Asian Age Group Championships in Tokyo in August 2009 in the 200m backstroke event at the 40th National Junior Swimming Championships in Hyderabad 2013. , setting her first national record. At the age of 13, Maana Patel won the title of India’s fastest women’s backstroke in 50m, 100m and 200m.
In 2015, Maana Patel became the first Indian swimmer to be selected for Olympic Gold Quest, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between the best athletes in India and the best in the world. gap, thereby helping Indian athletes win Olympic gold medals for their special scholarship programme. Maana said of her choice:
I’m honored to be supported by Olympic Gold Quest. They have full confidence in my abilities and believe I can do a great job. I want to prove them right by performing well in every game I play. “
Olympic Gold Quest organized a special training for Maana in Australia and provided Maana with a team of physiotherapists, nutritionists and doctors. In 2016, Maana Patel participated in the 2016 South Asian Swimming Championships and eventually won 3 gold medals and 5 silver medals for India.
Maana Patel at the 2016 South Asian Swimming Championships
Maana Patel tore her left shoulder in practice in 2017. She was advised not to practice swimming for the next three months. Just recovering from her first injury, Maana tore her right shoulder again. She hasn’t practiced in over 6 months and has to go to the hospital every day, which has left her mentally and emotionally devastated. Maana also suffered from depression at this stage in her life, but she didn’t quit. After fully recovering from her injury, she practiced day and night to prepare for the upcoming competition. After recovering, Maana participated in the 72nd National Adult Swimming Championships in Thiruvananthapuram for the first time in 2018 and won three gold medals in the competition. She also broke her own record in the women’s 100m backstroke. In an interview after the game, she said:
Dealing with injuries is difficult for any athlete and I’m so happy to be back in this way! It certainly felt great and, apart from the medal, my coach and I were happy with my timing. Although I set a new record, I narrowly missed the opportunity to improve on my best times in the other two events (50m and 200m backstroke). So, I feel very positive right now. Since I had done well at the state championships before this competition, I was very confident about doing well, and now that it has happened, I will practice even harder to do well at the international level. My next goal is to make India proud at the World Championships next year. “
When asked about her recovery, she said:
I came back from the injury a different person. I developed mentally and became wiser and more mature. Roadblocks and obstacles are a big part of life. Without them, you would become a robot and life would be boring. Face it bravely, smile, and learn what it has to teach you. “
In July 2021, Maana Patel received approval from FINA, the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee to govern international aquatics competitions, to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Maana Patel has qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after the Swimming Federation of India recommended her. The name of the universal quota. She became the first female swimmer from India and the third Indian swimmer to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Maana expresses her feelings after qualifying
It feels great to get a ticket to the Olympics. I have no words to describe it. It’s an amazing feeling. Like many kids, I grew up watching TV and reading about the Olympics, and now you’re a participant, a competitor, and representing your beloved country on the world stage. I find this very surreal. “
She also received many congratulatory messages from people across the country, including Indian Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. Kiren Rijiju took to Twitter to appreciate her hard work and congratulated her on qualifying.
India’s sports minister tweets for Maana Patel
medal
gold
- 2015: 50m backstroke in the 60th National Secondary School Games, Gujarat
- 2016: South Asian Games 4 x 100m freestyle relay, Guwahati
- 2016: South Asian Games Guwahati 4 x 100m medley relay
- 2018: 72nd National Adult Swimming Championships 50m Backstroke, Thiruvananthapuram
- 2018: 72nd National Adult Swimming Championships 100m Backstroke, Thiruvananthapuram
- 2018: 72nd National Adult Swimming Championships 200m Backstroke, Thiruvananthapuram
- 2019: 50m backstroke at the 16th South Asian Games, Kathmandu
- 2019: 100m backstroke at the 16th South Asian Games, Kathmandu
- 2019: 16th South Asian Games 4×100m Freestyle Relay, Kathmandu
- 2019: 4×100m relay medley at the 16th South Asian Games, Kathmandu
silver
- 2016: 4X100m freestyle in the 60th National Secondary School Games, Gujarat
- 2016: 50m backstroke at the 12th South Asian Games, Guwahati
- 2016: 100m backstroke at the 12th South Asian Games, Guwahati
- 2016: 200m backstroke at the 12th South Asian Games, Guwahati
- 2019: 200m backstroke at the 16th South Asian Games, Kathmandu
bronze
- 2012: 66th National Games, Rajkot
- 2016: 50m freestyle at the 12th South Asian Games, Guwahati
Record
- Fastest Indian backstroker in all age groups
- First Indian swimmer selected for Olympic gold medal quest event
- First Indian female swimmer to qualify for Tokyo 2020
- Won the best swimmer award five times at national competitions
Favorites
- Swimmers: Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin
- Tennis players: Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams
- Game: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Facts/Trivia
Not only swimming, Maana’s studies are also excellent. She scored over 90% in her 10th board exam. – In an interview, when Maana was asked how she balances swimming lessons with daily studies, she said:
This is actually quite difficult. My school is very flexible. If I miss a session, I make it up in a follow-up session or intuition. In fact, I scored 90% in my 10th board exam. It’s all about managing time well. I spend two hours swimming in the morning after school and two hours in the evening after school. “
- Maana Patel is an avid animal lover and is often spotted feeding stray animals on the streets. Her Instagram bio describes her as an animal and bird lover. Maana also runs another Instagram account called RoadsideRomeeo, which aims to raise awareness and provide food and shelter to stray dogs.
Maana Patel feeds stray dogs
- In 2019, Maana Patel was invited to present at TED Talks, a non-profit program dedicated to impactful videos from expert speakers in education, business, science, technology, and creativity spread ideas and share her life experiences with the world. Maana revealed in her TED talk that she suffered from depression for more than two months after the surgery.she says
I moved to Mumbai to swim. But due to the injury, I had to continue going to rehab instead of going to the pool. So, I had nothing to do in Mumbai. On top of that, all the changes, new coach, new house. I can’t handle this. I would lose my temper with my mother. I couldn’t really express myself when I was talking, so I used to write really bad letters to my parents. But my mom knew life would be difficult for me without swimming. She just wanted me to hang up my suit after a good game. “
She further added,
I told my mom I needed help and see a psychiatrist. I knew something was wrong with me. I wasn’t clinically depressed or taking medication, but had a three-month phase. So the psychologist also tried to take my attention away from swimming. She tried to get me to take art and cooking classes. I didn’t because I didn’t have the courage to start something new. “
- Apart from swimming, Maana Patel is also interested in painting. He often posts photos of her paintings on her social media accounts.
Maana Patel drew a picture of her pet dog
- Maana Patel is a fitness enthusiast who follows a very strict daily routine to maintain her fitness levels. She often posts photos of her workouts on her social media accounts.
Maana Patel workout photos
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education