Making waves at 52: Syamala Goli on her 150 kilometres swim from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada

Former animation studio producer turned marathon swimmer Syamala Goli completes a 150km swim in the Bay of Bengal.

At 52, Syamala Goli has achieved what most people wouldn’t dare to dream. The animation studio producer-turned-marathon swimmer recently completed an arduous 150 kilometre swim in the Bay of Bengal, from the RK Beach in Visakhapatnam to NTR Beach in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, in six days. The journey, undertaken with determination after a two-year-long preparation with a love for the sea, was not without its challenges. Is a testament to her resilience and fortitude.

The swim, which began after two weather-induced postponements, was an assisted, staged expedition. Covering an average of 30 kilometres every day, Syamala swam during the day and took brief breaks for meals and overnight rests in boats. Accompanying her was a 12-member support team that included, an observer, scuba divers, a doctor and a physiotherapist, two boats, and two kayaks. However, on the second day, some team members suffered sea sickness and had to return to shore, slowing her pace. Despite this, favourable tides and winds aided her journey.

The expedition was filled with unforgettable encounters with marine life. One of the most heart-warming moments of Syamala’s journey was her encounter with a group of olive ridley turtles near Pudimadaka Beach. Gliding through the turquoise waters, she noticed the subtle movement of these endangered creatures all along the coastline. “I saw many of these turtles during the six days at sea. On some instances, they swam beside me for a while and one of them even brushed past my feet, as if accompanying me on my journey,” she recalls, while stressing on the importance of preserving their nesting grounds along India’s coastline.

Perhaps the most breathtaking moment came when Syamala came across a whale when she was swimming near the Pudimadaka Beach. While on her way, she noticed the massive silhouette of the gentle giant. Approaching cautiously, she initially mistook it for a dolphin; it turned out to be a whale. “I was taken aback when I saw the whale approaching me and was advised by my crew to step onto the boat briefly. It’s a very unusual experience to feel the presence of massive marine creatures so close to you. But the whale eventually redirected itself and swam away,” she says. The deeper Syamala swam into the open sea, the more vibrant the underwater world became. She often swam through blooms of jellyfish and had to navigate past sea snakes.

Her journey was as much about exploration as endurance. She swam past 52 beaches, many of them unknown to the public. “Andhra Pradesh has the longest coastline in India, and its beaches have immense potential to become top tourist destinations,” she says. Throughout her journey, she remained focussed, determined to complete her goal. Her diet included curd rice and a drink made of jaggery, honey, ginger juice, lemon juice and rock salt. “The biggest challenge during swimming in the sea is losing the sense of taste and the skin gets affected as well. I am still recovering from these effects,” says Syamala.

Swimming has been a transformative journey for Syamala, a native of Samalkot in Kakinada district. Battling depression after suffering losses in her animation studio business in Hyderabad in 2015, she found solace in water, despite her aqua-phobia. “Swimming became my therapy and helped me regain mental stability,” she shares. Since starting her training in 2016, she has conquered the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, the Catalina Channel in California, and the Lakshadweep waters.

Syamala’s preparation for this swim began two years ago. Her regimen included one hour of yoga daily, thrice-weekly gym sessions focusing on strength and cardio, and swimming 10-15 kilometres daily in a pool. On weekends, she extended this to 25-30 kilometres on the advise of her coaches.