Anushka Sukhadia, is a 14-year-old from Bartlesville that wears her heart on her sleeve. She always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She has a contagious smile and a desire to learn. Anushka finds happiness in swimming, something that at one point in her life brought her discomfort.
She took some time to answer questions about herself during OIDJ week.
Q: What do you like to do in your free-time? Hobbies?
A: I read, listen to music, am interested in photography and competitively swim with my high school. I’d say that the majority of my time is spent swimming. I go to the gym and train my body to get stronger and better so that I can make the state championship next season.
“I go to the gym and train my body to get stronger and better so that I can make the state championship next season.”
Q: When did you begin competing in swim? Where did that decision take you?
A: Well, I swam starting in third grade up to seventh grade. By the time I reached seventh grade I was burned out and hated swimming. I couldn’t stand being near water. I became really depressed in eighth grade and barely left my room. I really needed something to get away from all the stress, so I joined the high school swim team as a freshman. It was a great experience and I was excited for next year because, I know this sounds cliche, swimming on my high school team changed my life. Before I was antisocial and had nothing to look forward to during school and when I joined the team I was excited to go to school because I really looked forward to swim practice. [My teammates] were almost like family.
Q: Why did you enjoy being with them all the time?
A: It’s really great just to be around them because you have the same goals. If they move up a level and achieve great things, they’ll help you achieve YOUR goals and take you up with them. It’s a really supportive group of people and I definitely wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Q: What would be the best advice you’ve received from your team?
A: My coach always read the team an inspirational quote every day before practice. One of them said “Sometimes things don’t go how you want them to, you take a deep breath and focus on your goals because if you do, then that’s where you’re going to end up.” The rest of it basically said that if your goals do not scare you, then your goals aren’t big enough. You can achieve more than you think you can.
