How these two Bengaluru IT professionals swam from Sri Lanka to India in less than 11 hours

At 430 am the ocean feels like an inkblack void that swallows sound and light But itrsquos at that precise time that Bengalurubased IT professionals Vrushali Prasade and Danish Abdi took their first stroke in the sea As they plunged into the sea at Talaimannar Sri Lanka aiming for the Indian shores of Dhanushkodithe the silence of dawn was broken only by the rhythmic splash of their strokes But there was something else in the watersThe couple who only learned to swim four years ago covered a staggering 22 kilometresldquoIt was pitch darkrdquo Prasade recalls ldquoFive minutes into the swim we started to feel something hitting our legs from the bottom It was very scary because we didnrsquot know what it was But as long as it was not biting or hurting we just kept goingrdquo It was only later reviewing the footage that they realised they were being escorted by a school of flying fish ldquoIt looked beautiful in the video but in the moment it was terrifyingrdquo she adds with a laughThe couple who only learned to swim four years ago clocked a staggering 22 kilometres in 10 hours and 45 minutes proving that being out of the office can mean very different things to different peopleThe journey from the shallow end of a pool to the Palk Strait was an 18monthlong grind While most couples plan vacations to vineyards or beaches Vrushali and Danish are the adventurous types They prefer climbing mountains competing in triathlons and learning new skills to achieve more adventurous heightsPrasadersquos motivation to swim was deeply personal Eight years ago a drowning incident in a pool left her feeling helpless She vowed never to feel that way again By 2022 the duo was at the pool five days a week an hour before work chasing a dream that seemed miles awayThatrsquos what drew them to begin training with Swim Life under the watchful eye of their coach Satish Mohan Kumar ldquoWe had seen other swimmers in our group accomplishing incredible thingsrdquo they say ldquoOur coach told us that if we trained properly for 18 months it would be possiblerdquoOpen water swimming is more than just endurance itrsquos also about training in tandem with nature and whatever you encounter in the seas you are planning to swim While international swims often happen in cold waters to keep the body temperature balanced the Palk Strait is tropical ldquoIn warmer waters you lose your electrolytes and salt very fast and the sun is right on your headrdquo they explainThe most harrowing moment however wasnrsquot the heat it was being in a standstill For over an hour despite their frantic strokes the couple didnrsquot move a single inch The tides had turned against them ldquoPsychologically that was the hardestrdquo Prasade shares ldquoWe had been swimming for almost an hour and a half nonstop We asked Coach Satish how much we had covered and he said lsquoFor the last hour you havenrsquot moved an inchrsquo We felt like lsquoBhai ab toh kyarsquo now what Should we go back to Sri Lanka It was very humbling You realise Mother Nature has to allow you to passrdquo Coach Satish who was in the boat the entire time jumped into the water at one point to give them an extra motivational push refusing to let them give up What makes their story even more poignant is that they did it together In a sport that is often solitary the couple swam in tandem staying within 100 to 200 meters of each otherldquoJust knowing Danish was there in the water next to me made me feel much strongerrdquo Prasade says ldquoWhen the water gets tough and there are swells and chops it feels much harder alone But knowing someone else is going through the same thing gives you energyrdquoWhen they finally touched the shores of Dhanushkodi their bodies were intact but their faces told the story of the sea ldquoOur tongues and lips were swollen from 11 hours of salt water exposurerdquo Prasade says Her remedy ldquoI had four ice creams immediately after Even during the swim I was eating ice cubes to numb the swellingrdquoNow back in Bengaluru life looks deceptively normal After their morning workout they are heading to their IT desks But work is still on mdash the couple is already training for the English Channel though that swim will require them to go solo with one boat per swimmer We wish them luck