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2012 Bala My Passion 12Bala

My Life My Passion: Love for Swimming – Akhilesh Matti Rajakyla

Akhilesh Matti Rajakyla is National Swimming Champion from Finland and participant in 2004 Athens & 2008 Beijing Olympics. Almost a hundred National level medals in Swimming and three National Records.

Akhilesh shared his experiences as a young schoolboy at Helsinki’s sports high school, where he lived by himself, practising, attending school, doing homework, cooking and helping himself. His hard work paid off for his fast progress and involvement in practice for Athens Olympics.

Demonstrated his true sportive nature even when he couldn’t win a medal at Athens, he was happy to have participated and was able to meet the other sports stars!

He got the European championship gold in 2005, which changed his attitude towards the sport and began to work harder, took it as his job to practice, but constantly had a fear of failure.

He played his video from Olympics and showed how even a single fraction of a second matter for a sportsman of his cadre and what difference it can make in their life!

He attributed his failure to his attitude and explained how he felt depressed and began to question himself. This is exactly when he met Amma and found answers to all his queries which brought a major change in him who holds high respect for the Indian tradition and values.


Feedback from the students…

We came to know how to overcome situations and learned not to give up in any problems and to continue or complete our passion – Sannidhi Raikar

This is the line which was told by him is written in my mind in bold letters.
”Everybody is born as an artist with talent inside. The thing which we have to do is to keep the talent till adulthood.”   Whenever I feel I am not gifted with any talent, this line strikes in my mind and enables me to move forward. Thanks to Akhilesh Sir. – Megha Hichkad

I have learnt ‘never giving up from him’ & that’s the same thing what we were taught in Gita sessions that Sri Krishna  instructs  – Revant, Karwar