Six-year-old swimmer Mannem Nagasai Aashritha’s stroke of success from Krishna River to Lake Constance

“The water was cold and the waves overwhelming, but I loved its glistening blue colour,” reminisces six-year-old Mannem Nagasai Aashritha about her experience of swimming a distance of 6.3km in Germany’s Lake Constance last month. Evidently, the little one was more smitten by the fact that it was her first time treading water in a foreign land. By exceeding the set distance of 5km, Aashritha also managed to enter the coveted 2025 Lake Constance Open Water Crossing Friedrichshafen – Romanshorn’s ‘Hall of Fame’. Out in the middle of a voluminous European water body, competing with other participants, the Grade 1 student from Orchids’ Bachupally campus in Telangana found joy in making a note of the small details, while trusting her strokes to carry her forward. 

The very thought of a child swimming in the open waters can be terrifying for parents. More so when research indicates an alarming rise in the number of children drowning in ponds and rivers in recent years. According to statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO), every year drowning claims over 300,000 lives worldwide, and is a leading cause of death among children. In India alone, as many as 38,000 people die every year in ponds, lakes and rivers, with those in the age group of 5 to 14 years being at a higher risk. These are not just numbers but futures cut short by the lack of an essential life skill - swimming.

Teach them young

For Aashritha though, swimming lessons began early in life. Thanks to her mother Mothukuri Kiran Mounika - a national- and state-level swimmer and coach - the little one not only practised in the pool of her school campus but also dipped in the vast Krishna River near Mounika’s hometown in Vijayawada, every time she visited. Stressing the need to learn swimming at a young age, Mounika said, “Swimming is a basic skill and it should be taught to children early in life, just like they learn eating, talking and walking. I introduced Aashritha to swimming when she was just 18 months old, not to make her a champion but so that she can ensure her own safety. What began with playful splashes in a tub saw her mastering strokes in just a couple of years. By the age of six, Aashrita was gliding confidently across pools and a river. Her hard work and dedication meant she was confident to take on challenges even globally.” 

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Coping with the choppy waters of Lake Constance

2025 marks an extraordinary year for little Aashrita. Swimming over six kilometres at a stretch, braving strong winds and unpredictable waves, made her more resilient and robust. It was a great boost for her buoyancy and water confidence, leading her to surpass the previously set distance of 5km into a 6.3km swim in a span of 3 hours and 47 minutes. Mounika recalls her heart pounding, as she stood witness to Aashritha wading through the cold and choppy water. “The sight made me nervous. But she kept swimming - stroke after stroke as if she was determined to prove her worth and reach beyond her goal,” she added. 

Campus swimming lessons on demand!

The ‘star’ swimmer’s incredible journey at such a young age created a ripple effect on Orchids’ Bachupally campus even before she returned from Germany. While it was a proud moment for her parents and school, her fellow Orchidians saw this as a spark of great inspiration. So much so that many students and parents started enquiring about swimming classes on campus, registering their interest in training sessions and other details. As a result of which, the school authorities have decided to extend swimming lessons to Grade 10. Hailing it as a turning point, Principal Tabassum Zaidi said, “Aashrita’s remarkable achievement reminded us that swimming is not just a sport and water safety isn’t optional. Teaching a child to swim can save a life.”

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More than medals, swimming is for safety

What next? Aashrita is already preparing for the National-level Modern Pentathlon, Indore, Madhya Pradesh.  

While there’ll be several more competitions where her skills will be put to the test, Aashrita’s incredible Lake Constance feat has paved the way for something more meaningful. It has renewed interest in swimming - not merely as a recreational activity but as a much-needed life skill that can change the course of how we perceive the importance of sports in life.