Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Keerthi Ram Kosaraju has been interested in sports since she was a child. She began horseback riding and tennis when she was just three years old, and she excelled in both disciplines. Years later, she found an interest in rowing, which changed the course of her life. “Rowing is a fantastic sport that both relaxes me and pushes me to do my best. It made me strong and disciplined,” says Keerthi Ram Kosaraju, who recently won silver in the 6th interstate National Rowing Championship at Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad.

Balancing studies & practice

She has been practising the sport for years and is now at the top of her game as a student at iSiva Sivani Degree College, where she is studying her BBA. “When I first started rowing at the age of seven, I had to balance my studies and practice, which was a little difficult. Every day, I would travel from Suchitra to Hussain Sagar Lake, return home, and then rush to school,” Keerthi says. She would return to rowing practise after school. Fortunately for her, the school administration was quite supportive throughout. “The teachers understood that I needed to go to practise and tried to lighten my load,” says the ace rower, who graduated from Sherwood School in Jeedimetla. She was involved in the school choir, orchestra, and other cultural events. She was interested in marathons by the age of 14, but her age disqualified her.

Her father, who merely wanted to encourage her daughter to break down boundaries, would sign the declaration form, accepting full responsibility for her safety, after which she would be allowed to participate. “I also attended classes at Rama Krishna Maths and learned yoga, which I still practise today,” says the 20-year-old, who won medals in many rowing championships across different states.

Born in Tenali of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh March 2003, Keerthi’s parents moved to Hyderabad when she was a toddler. Her father K Shiva Kishore is an Entrepreneur while mother K.Koteswaree is a housewife.

Day starts at the crack of dawn

She gets up at 5 a.m. every day to go to the Telangana Rowing Association, which is located next to the Sailing Annexe. The training session ends at 9.30 a.m. “I then return home, get ready for college and rush to college,” the student says. Keerthi’s head coach is Dronacharya awardee Ismail Baig.

“It’s a really technical sport that wasn’t my strong suit. I had the strength but not the skill. I won my first medal at the age of 13 in Tamil Nadu thanks to my coach’s training,” she explains. Despite the fact that there are impending inter-university tournaments in Chandigarh, Keerthi would have to miss them. “The dates are clashing with my semester exams,” she adds.

When not rowing, Keerthi tunes into her favourite music to unwind or watch web series like the Vampire Diaries, Blue Blood and Homecoming.

“You need the body and technique, but it can’t be seen at finest unless you have the correct mental attitude.”

“My diet consists of millet java before practice, sprouts after practice, and dried fruits in the evening, with regular lunch and dinner.”