6000 calories, 0 sweets - How Srihari Nataraj shaped up for success
The 20-year-old had to streamline his diet to keep his swimming dreams on course
Srihari Nataraj remembers being deserted by his friends at the dessert table.
When he made his Commonwealth Games debut at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, he would tag along with the more experienced Indian swimmers Virdhawal Khade and Sajan Prakash almost everywhere. But, at the food hall, he was the only one helping himself to sweets at the end of the meal.
“At that time, I used to have desserts every day,” the ace Indian swimmer, who has met the B qualification mark for the Olympics in 100m backstroke, told the Olympic Channel. “I come from a family where we eat sweets all the time. Sweets and ice-creams and chocolates were a big part of my life.”
Only 17 then, and competing in a sport that burns off a high amount of energy, Nataraj wasn’t quite particular about his diet. But he was quick to pick up on the cues. The next time he traveled with Khade for an international meet, he copied the Olympian, food for food, portion for portion.
“I realized that if I want to compete with the best I need to take care of my body a certain way. I can’t have a scoop of ice-cream every day like I used to,” said Nataraj.
“Over the years I have started paying a lot of attention to what I’m doing, why I’m doing it. I had to do things that could help me get to the next level. I decided to control my sugar intake and have noticed the difference.”
Even though his daily calorie count is at 5000-6000, sweets are a rarity. “My coach has said I can eat some sugar once a week,” he explained.
Nataraj has shaped up to become one of the most promising swimmers in the country. He made the B cut for the Olympics with a national record of 54.69s in the 100m backstroke event at the FINA World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2019. Nataraj is 0.84 seconds away from becoming the first Indian to make it to the Olympics with an ‘A’ qualifying time.
To meet that time, the 6'3 swimmer is going through some pretty intense training sessions.
And while the physical effort needed for the sport is very apparent, swimming is emotionally also demanding. Intensely technical, the athletes spend huge amounts of time swimming up and down the lane monotonously, alone with their thoughts.
“Swimming,” he says, “is my go-to for peace.”
“It is more mental than physical,” Nataraj said. “For me, I have always enjoyed training in the pool. I have started enjoying working out in the gym as well now. It keeps me relaxed.”
The 20-year-old admits he overthinks about a lot of things and usually keeps his mind occupied with the latest movie he had watched or song he had heard.
“I like trying to dig deeper into everything I watch or listen to, especially movies. I analyse them over and over. Maybe that or I have a song in my head,” he said. “I am into sports movies, documentaries, action movies. (I am) a very big fan of documentaries.
“Also, in my mind, I want to be the best I can be. I want to be the best in the world. I know that I need to push every day. I find it hard sometimes to convince myself to push my body through so much pain. But over the years, I have started enjoying that pain.”
Making the Olympics and making it out at the Games is what Nataraj is currently focused on. But only 20, he has years of that sweet struggle ahead of him.