Challenging, but worth it: ‘I like to do swimming quests for a good cause,’ says Sundeep (inset) of his 12-hour swim to raise funds for the National Autism Society of Malaysia.
IPOH: A swimming coach swam continuously for 12 hours to raise funds for the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom).
Sundeep Kumar (pic), 51, covered about 40km in his “Dusk 2 Dawn” feat in a 25m pool here from Aug 29 at 8pm until about 8.45am on Aug 30.
“I like to do swimming quests for a good cause. I’ve managed to raise about RM1,500, which mostly came in after the event,” he said when contacted.
“I will wait until Sept 10 to see how much more I can raise,” he said, adding that he also wants to encourage children with autism to take up swimming.
“I did not set any targets, but I hope that people can donate as much as they can,” he said.
Sundeep, originally from India but who has settled down here, said he also teaches several children with autism.
“I believe swimming is good for kids with autism as it helps to calm them.
“It’ll take some time to coordinate but it is a good sport that has low impact on the physical condition and bones.
“I also believe it is important to take up swimming as a life-saving skill,” he added.
Sundeep, also known as Sandi, said children with autism have great abilities and should be encouraged to do more.
“Some are great artists and I have one kid who has been swimming with me for about a year.
“People just don’t look at their full capacity, as they have the capability to do more,” he said.
Sundeep also said he hopes that his feat could be recognised as a national or Asian record.
“I don’t believe anyone has ever swum non-stop for the longest distance in a short course pool before.
“I am waiting for the verifications to be conducted,” he added.
Sundeep said in 1999, he got into the Guinness World Records for swimming continuously for 30 hours in an Olympic-sized pool, covering a distance of about 92km.
He said it challenging to do repeated laps in a pool.
“Compared with swimming in open waters, I can only see walls and lanes, so it really takes a lot of mental strength to power through,” he said, adding that he also actively participates in swimming events internationally.
“I am always looking forward to doing more swimming quests for charity if I have the support of the people.”
