Riding the tide

Having a hobby while you’re in school is always tough, as one has to balance the pressure of academics. But when that hobby wins you medals at national-level, nothing else matters. Ananya Chouhan, a Class X student of Gitanjali Devshala, picked up sailing in 2012. The 15-year-old’s hard work and practise has since seen her win medals and awards at competitions across the country — most recently at the Yachting Association of India’s national level competition, where she won a silver medal in senior Laser Radial races.

“In a boat, I’m the only one in control. I can take my own decisions and do whatever I feel like doing. Of course, there are coaches who tell me what to do before and after each race, but while I’m racing, it’s just me. I feel independent,” she says. After her first ride in a sailboat at the Hussainsagar when she was 13, Ananya knew it was what she wanted to pursue.

“We had taken her for a basic joy-ride in the Hussainsagar, and when the organisers saw her they encouraged her to go further,” says her father Pranay Chouhan. Ananya needed to learn how to navigate waves and currents in the sea and thus she trained in Chennai. She adds, “Wherever I go for championships, I make sure I get there a week or two earlier to practise.” Starting off in the beginner-level Optimist class sailboat, Ananya soon made a name for herself by participating in various competitions, eventually taking part in the Asia series and being shortlisted for Asian Games in 2014.

When she began sailing the senior-level Laser boats earlier this year, her skill did not deteriorate, and she even won a gold medal in the Laser 4.7 division at the Hyderabad Nationals’ Under 16 category.

Studies haven’t taken much of a backseat, with Ananya saying she still manages to rank 3rd in her class. However, she is worried about the fact that sailing isn’t a lucrative sport in India. “It’s an expensive sport, you have to hire a boat and then pay for registration etc. It’s not very well-known, so it’s hard to get sponsors,” says Ananya, who aims to be a doctor someday, but is also sure that sailing will ever leave her life.