A girl so strong from a nation & community which only supports a saree-clad & fully covered women attitude, breaking oceanic boundaries and swaying into the sea with determination to beat the waves! Her story is not only influential, it also convinces that once you decide to turn your hobby into a career, no one can stop you! Her father Jagadish who works at Hindustan Petroleum and mother Kavitha who is a housewife are like parents next-door, who were worried about their daughter going deep into the ocean and facing the grunt of society. At a very tender age of 8 years, Tanvi Jagadish was introduced to surfing and this sport became her first love. Due to many inapt reasons, she only could start surfing at the age of 14 and felt totally at ease with water.

She is the only women Stand Up Paddler (SUP) in surfing who has represented India. Currently pursuing her studies at Sharada Pre-University College, Mangaluru; she dreams of helping girls who want to get into surfing despite of all odds. Winning the 1st place in most of the competitions, she has proved herself, family and society that a girl need not be judged by her attire. It is important to identify the talent and leave every other conventional thought aside. Inspired & motivated by none other than a female surfer April Zilg, from North Carolina, Tanvi realized that water identifies an individual as a surfer and not as man or woman. She represented India at the surfing event at the Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina, USA, which attracted over 100 paddlers across the globe.

Team imd1 had a chat with her a few days ago, read on to know her further!

We are really keen to know, how did your journey begin?

Every weekend I used to visit my grandparents 15 km away from my house. My grandfather used to take me to Ashram where they used to practice meditation, yoga and swimming. He actually introduced me to surfing but was hesitant to send me in waters. My cousin was the first one in the family to try surfing. He encouraged me. Though I had asthma, I still enjoyed it and felt a connection with nature. Next four years I wasn"t allowed to go in water. Me and my mother are extremes with water! I am crazy for beaches and water and she is too scared of water.

Beyond Paddling

Yet, my parents had confidence in me and fortunately never forced upon me their likes or fears. One of my childhood friend, who was a very good swimmer took me for surfing again after convincing my parents and this is how I started my journey. Then I got introduced to Stand Up Paddling. I was enlightened to start with professional training and go into international waters. Now I am 5 times champion in standup paddling including twice in India.

What has been your success mantra?

‘"Do the best in my present""! My coach always tells me to be conscious of what I am doing. He suggested that one should always have presence of mind when in water.

What were the hardships & hurdles you encountered and how did you overcome them?

As compared to my dad my Mom has been very concerned. I always told my mom to give me one opportunity to prove myself. I have worked so hard to achieve my dreams. She only tells me that struggles make you stronger and with this thinking I get better each day. My mom worries a lot about me & the attitude of society. I had a gap of 4 years due to this old-school of thought that girls can"t surf. Being continuously in water makes my skin tan, rough and I have to wear shorts even for practice. But I don"t care much about all this as I know what I am doing and love my work. I am very focused on my sport once I am in water.

Success is incomplete without its share of failures. How should one overcome them to move on?

When I went to my first World Championship along with another experienced paddler Sekar Patchai, I was the youngest and sole woman representative from India for the ISA World Paddleboard Championships. There were contestants from 26 nations and being ranked 16th was an achievement for me. International competition is very different and initially everything was new to me. The oceanic waves, the people and the size of the board. That day I understood that though I came first in India, not necessarily I will be first in the world. That hit me and I decided to work very hard to reach the top rank & become the fastest paddler in the world.

Do you think training in stand up paddling can be helpful in life even if one does not want to consider it as a career goal?

I am going to continue with standup paddling for my life. It"s a growing sport and people might take up as a career. Paddling helps one to get the right posture and balancing one"s body.

Who has been your influencer in your journey so far?

My coach Shamanth Kumar, who as a brother always advises me to neglect the snags and continue this sport, According to him, hurdles give one the real taste of life. He is the only person in India with Level 2 International Certified Surfing Instructor, who teaches surfing in a comprehensive way. He is based in Mantra surf club, Mangaluru; the only training center in India for paddling. Infact, whenever I am sad he knows how to cheer me up too!

Which was “that” moment when you considered yourself as “I am the 1”?

Representing India for the first time in Stand up paddle World championship Fiji in 2016, that was the moment I felt “Yes, I Am The 1”!

Is your success backed by a formal training?

Training is very important in paddling as you have to deal with rough tides. One should know what board to use, how to move in water, how to balance your body, not to panic and relax your mind when in water. Having a good coach will sort the above concerns. There are very few paddling instructors like there is one woman coach in Goa, Sahasea (Stand up Paddling School) and even I give training to beginners. I do many free workshops at my place. It"s important to know the basics of paddling like the mains of the board, the size, the right posture and having that confidence level. Systematic training along with a good coach who can give right information is important. One can come to Mantra Surf club, Mangaluru, as we have some best instructors. Anyone who wants more information can get in touch with me. I have also decided that even though I retire from this sport I will start teaching kids paddling in my own surfing school & make it more famous. I wish the Indian team becomes stronger in Stand up paddling.

Are there any prerequisites like age, fitness or a particular type of mindset required to pursue Stand Up Paddling?

I was very young when I started Stand Up Paddling. I even found it difficult to carry the board. I was very raw when it came to knowledge. But it is a sport worth to be learnt and pursued by anyone & everyone. It was my brother who introduced me to paddling. I have been teaching many people and don"t consider any prerequisites. Anyone can learn paddling.

Technology and scientific training have been changing the way people get trained in Stand-up paddling. What"s your take on this?

For international competition level, one needs to work on fitness and professional training. Identify weakness in the body and work on it. Thanks to technology, there are many videos over internet that provide information and answers all your queries.

What according to you can be a scope of improvement in training for standup paddling in India?

I would again say, internet plays an important role here. Anyone who wants to start paddling, can find information on internet. In terms of training, one needs to start working on core exercises. Earlier we used to just paddle and practice before the competition. But now the sessions have improved and we work more on our posture.

What do you suggest for better accessibility of standup paddling remote parts of India?

Internet is one of the mediums. Providing access to internet can be a foundation. We can also make different films to train people which they can watch at comfort of their home. We need to have more access and opportunities to learn paddling in India. Infact, Stand Up Paddling should be included as an exercise in schools or institutions

One thing which you feel you want to change from the past while you walk down memory lane…

I am very happy with my present. I wish my friend Prajul would get back to standup paddling.

In your opinion, what are the basic key traits apart from formal training that make “imd1”?

More than physical, mental strength is important. Stay grounded after success and do not forgot what you are and what you have learnt so far. If you have a strong mind you can push yourself to do better. Knowing you can do it, you will be surely able to do it with all hard work and practice.

Any other thoughts you want to share?

I would thank Vans India which is a very good international brand for surfing and they have helped me a lot as I am their youngest team member. I will be travelling all over and shall conduct workshops wherever I am. So anyone interested can come & try this sport. One can even come to training center of Mantra Surf Club and experience different culture.

Since now you are into SUP(standup paddling), would you like to consider any other style of paddling?

I am happy with SUP but want to try M&M after some time. One should keep learning newer forms!