Mother-Son Duo Make History in Open Water Swimming

Hyderabad: Queeni Victoria Gandam, 44, and her 20-year-old son Stephen Kumar, became the first Indian mother-son duo to complete a 17-kilometre open water swim from Mandwa Jetty to the Gateway of India in Mumbai on January 19.

They swam from 7.36 am to 2.37 pm, battling currents and fatigue, and achieved what they initially thought was just another challenge. "We did this to raise awareness about saving the ocean, but the officials later told us we had broken a record," she shares.

Queeni, a tailor and mother of two, took swimming seriously only in 2018. “As a child, I learnt swimming and cycling because my grandfather believed it was a skill every boy and girl should have,” she recalls. Years later, when she began taking her children for swimming practice, she decided to join in. “It started as a way to support them, but then it became something much more.”

Since then, she has crossed the English Channel in June 2024, becoming the first woman from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to do so. Further, she was also the first south Indian to compete at the Underwater Master Fin Swimming World Championship, where she won two silver medals.

“My aim is to swim all seven channels in the world with my children. I also want to show people that open water swimming is not impossible, no matter what your age or circumstances are.”

Training for open water swimming, however, is far from easy. "Ocean swimming is different. Breaststroke and freestyle are what work best, but the currents make everything harder. You need to be faster." Queeni and Stephen practised daily, clocking four to five hours every morning and an additional three hours, three times a week, in the evening. Strength training at the gym filled the rest of their schedule.

Stephen, a national swimming champion, has been her biggest supporter and teammate. “Doing this as a mother-son team teaches you so much about each other. It creates a bond that is hard to describe,” she says. Their next goal is to swim from Robben Island in South Africa this April, a challenge they are already preparing for.

Originally from Nalgonda, Queeni has lived in Amangal, Mahbubnagar, and now resides near Kachiguda in Hyderabad. Despite her achievements, she faced many hurdles, especially when trying to secure sponsorships.

"People would say, ‘What will you swim at this age?’ I had to spend my mornings convincing sponsors, missing practice sessions in the process." Eventually, support came from individuals and organisations like Jothi Raj, S. Akbar, Aspire Enterprises, Dreamaxiz Software Pvt Ltd, Packers and Movers, and the Hyderabad police. “Age is just a number. If 92-year-olds can break records, why can’t I at 44,” she asked.