Travelling heals. Much more than a vacation, it is a much-needed escape from the pressures of life, helps in exploring different cultures, and allows us to step outside our comfort zones, broaden our perspectives, and embrace new experiences. For Indian para-swimmer Niranjan Mukundan, travelling is a way to come back bigger, better and stronger.
For an athlete who was born with spina bifida (a condition which affects the spine and both legs), Mukundan was suggested for aqua therapy by his doctor at the age of seven, which eventually turned into his career. By the age of 18, Mukundan had won his first international medal.
Seven years later, the count rose to 50. By 2026, at the age of 32, 107 international medals adorn the walls of Mukundan’s cabinet. The medals weren’t as easy as it sounds. Behind the scenes, he had to undergo as many as 19 surgeries. The scissors and knives never worried Mukundan.
A die-hard fan of Australian great Michael Phelps and British swimmer Adam Peaty, Mukundan is gearing up for his fourth appearance in Aichi-Nagoya – the most by an Indian swimmer. But for the Bengaluru boy, it is a whole new start, after spending last two years in rehab and recovery.
It was in 2024. After his B qualification for the Paris Paralympics, Mukundan was preparing for his A qualification when he suffered a foot infection. Heartbroken, Mukundan returned home from Paris, and what followed was eight to 10 months of rehab. “It was really tough, especially in 2024,” Mukundan told Livemint from Nagoya.
“I was doing well, given the B qualification timing for the Paris . Before my A qualification, I had a bad injury, and I couldn’t take part in many more events. I came back to India. It was a very long rehab, almost eight to 10 months,” he recalled.
“I knew the road to recovery would be pretty long. The doctors also told me that we can’t rush into things. For me, because of the disability, below the knees, I don’t have any sensation at all. So if I had rushed, there was a possibility that I could get infected. I adopted the slow and steady process, just took one day at a time during the recovery,” he added.
After his recovery, Mukundan didn’t rush things. Instead, he took a slow and steady approach, thereby missing out on a lot of competitions. He started his 2026 at the Gold Coast Para Swimming World Series in Queensland. The Indian followed it up with multiple medals at the Bergen Swim Festival in Norway and entered the top five of the 200m IM SM7 category in the world.
Training and competing at certain European tournaments also gave Mukundan the license to travel to different countries and explore new cultures. Norway and Greece are a couple of them. A travel junkie for the last five to six years, Mukundan takes the route not travelled by most often, thus discovering himself in a better and fresh way.
“Something about me is that I like disconnecting from the normal routine. There is a lot of pressure – internal and external. For me to de-stress, I usually disconnect and go under the grid and travel somewhere. I try to go to some nice remote places, try to rediscover myself and meet new people. I was getting out of the mindset of the injury setback through my travelling. I came back fresh and started properly with a proper plan,” he said.
Once I come back, I get back the enthusiasm more. It has worked tremendously in a positive way for me. Whenever I come back, I have always had a bigger and better comeback. I have been travelling for 5-6 years now, and it has tremendously helped me clear my mind to focus more when I am back. It has definitely made me a better athlete. I have always seen that pattern of doing good after a vacation,” added Mukundan.
With the momentum on his side, Mukundan is eyeing glory at the 2026. With former Olympian Dick Orbell by his side as a coach, Mukundan was able to train in Malaysia, in an attempt to get close to conditions similar to Japan.
Mukundan’s only Para Asian Games medal came in 2014 in Incheon, when he won a bronze medal as part of India’s relay team. “The training has been going well. I just want to keep the momentum and the consistency at the Para Asian Games,” he said.
In Aichi-Nagoya, Mukundan missed a medal in the men’s 400m freestyle S7 final. He clocked 5:38.77s to finish fourth in a field of six finalists. He will be competing in the 50 m butterfly S7 and 200 m individual medley SM7 events.
