Para swimmer Niranjan Mukundan set Asian record after 19 surgeries
Niranjan Mukundan, a para swimmer born with Spina Bifida, overcame immense barriers to not only represent India and win several medals, but also to set Asian records and inspire millions. On May 8, 2022, at the Para Swimming Cup tournament in Prague, Czech Republic, para swimmer Niranjan Mukundan broke the Asian record in the 800m freestyle event by more than 50 seconds. He broke the 12-year-old Asian mark of 12:10:34 with a time of 11:17:22 and won the championship with six medals—three gold, two silver, one bronze, and a fourth-place finish. A 27-year-old Bengaluru para swimmer won gold in the 100m butterfly, 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle, and 100m backstroke the day before the 800m freestyle. In the first 100 meters, he was swimming alongside three of them and ahead of the group. After the race, the Czech announcer informed the audience that he had established a new Asian record. It was an incredible feeling to see the entire stadium stand up for him. It's...