Paris Olympics: Meet India's 14-Year-Old Swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu Who Hated Getting Into Water

India's teenage swimming sensation Dhinidhi Desinghu will make her Olympics debut at the upcoming Summer Games in Paris, France. Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Dhinidhi shed light on her initial struggles, and recalled how she didn't like to get inside a swimming pool. Fast forward to 2024, the 14-year-old made it in women's 200m freestyle on a universality quota. Dhinidhi also revealed that her parents to involve her in a sport and swimming was an obvious choice as they had a pool right next to their home.

"But I didn't like the water, I didn't want to get in. I couldn't get my feet into the pool, I couldn't get my head inside. It was a struggle. I was six back then. When I returned the next year, I was still too scared," Dhinidhi told the Indian Express.

"In fact, before I learnt how to swim, my parents did so. They got into the pool to make me feel comfortable and that is how it all started.

Dhinidhi, who trains at Dolphin Aquatics in Bengaluru, also revaled that she did not even understanding the basic terms of swimming when she was first introduced to the sport.

"I knew the strokes... backstroke, breaststroke, and (butter) fly. But that was all I knew. There were all these kids who were around 13. And then there was one like me, just nine years old. I was scared to ask for help. I didn't know what to do," she added.

Dhinidhi's mother Jesitha also recalled an incident when her daughter was just eight-years-old, and how it helped in overcoming her fears.

"I knew she had the talent. She does very well in the pool. But then at competitions, she felt the pressure. Either she would fall sick the previous day with a fever or she would vomit when she got to the pool for the event."

"I just decided to book a bus ticket. I too