5 Learnings From The Life Of Olympic Swimmer Nisha Millet

Nisha Millet is a professional Indian swimmer who now runs a swimming academy. Here are 5 important lessons we can learn from her life.

Nisha Millet is a professional swimmer whose career in international swimming has spanned over 15 years. She has represented India in various international championships. Her achievements stand tall with over 600 gold medals to her credit.

She also has several notable national-level recognitions, including the prestigious Arjuna Award, which is one of the highest sporting honors awarded to athletes in India. Having retired from competitive swimming in 2004, she currently runs the Nisha Millet Swimming Academy in Bengaluru.

There is a lot to learn from this inspiring woman who shattered the proverbial glass ceiling in athletics.  Here are 5 key lessons from her life.

1. Never let sexist stereotypes deter you from your goal

Nisha recalls how as a young girl, she often heard how swimming will give her a tan, and how no one would want to marry her. But she single-mindedly persisted in her goal to represent India at the Olympics, without bothering about such derogatory remarks.

2. Dream big, and believe in yourself!

She says that her dream of making it to the Olympics would be met with laughter from skeptics. Despite this, Nisha continued to believe in her ability to achieve her dream. She says that she would have a postcard with the Olympic rings taped to the side of the bed, making sure it was the first thing she saw every day. She went on to become the only Indian woman in the 2000 Olympics swim team.

3. Overcoming your fears can be immensely rewarding

When Nisha was five years old, she accidentally fell into a pool and had a near-drowning experience, which eventually led to a fear of water that made her stay away from pools for a few years. However, with her father’s consistent encouragement, she overcame her mental barrier and the rest is history!

4. Mothers can have it all with a good support system

Nisha Millet is a mother of twin girls. She managed to run her swimming academy successfully only because of her husband’s equal role in parenting, with her mother’s support for childcare. Her message to those who want to get back to work post-motherhood is that they can have it all, with good time management and a great support system. She believes that it can be enriching for children to see mothers being financially independent and having careers.

5. Age is no barrier to learning

Nisha Millet currently mentors several age groups, from toddlers to adults wanting to learn swimming. She mentions that her class also has senior citizens, aged over 75 years old who are regular in training.

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With her consistency, hard work, and determination, Nisha is an inspiration to countless Indian women who want to rise beyond gender barriers and achieve their dreams.

Image Credit: Image from Nisha Millet’s Instagram page

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About the Author

Jayashree Ravi

An engineer turned SAHM of two who wants to be known beyond that. Passionate about words, parenting, making eco-friendly choices, feminism and lifelong learning. read more...

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