By the time Pratyasa Ray turned three, her parents had already made numerous visits to various hospitals looking for a solution to her continuous health issues and stunted physical development. Her mother Charushree learnt that water therapy could help children with severe health issues and decided to try that option.

What started as a therapy has now become the life of 23-year-old Odisha ace Pratyasa, who is now reckoned as one of the top swimmers in the country and showcased her prowess in the 5th Khelo India University Games 2025 by winning three gold, one silver and one bronze at the Sawai Man Singh Swimming Complex in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The Utkal University student has so far won 18 medals including nine gold and seven silver medals over the last four editions of the Khelo India University Games apart from posting impressive results at various national and international tournaments.

Recounting the tough period when the health of Pratyasa was a major concern, Charushree said, “Pratyasa was born healthy. But she was given antibiotics to protect her from an infection when she was just 21 days old and those medicines reacted adversely. After that, her natural physical development stopped. Our concern grew.

We wanted a healthy child, but everything was going against us. During that time, I read in Readers Digest that swimming can help children with several health issues. Tired of continuous hospital visits, I decided to take that risk,” she told SAI Media.

“I started taking my three-year-old daughter to a swimming pool in Sambalpur. No admission was possible at that age, so I went into the water with her myself. The initial days were filled with tears and fear, but gradually, water turned her fear into play. Within two months, hospital visits reduced, and after three months, her health stabilized,” she told.

Six months after being introduced to water, Pratyasa indicated for the first time that she could enter the pool without a tube. Her mother recalled, “It was as if water gave her relief. She started enjoying being in water and realized that it was keeping her away from hospitals. Over the next two to three years, she easily increased her swimming distance from 25 meters to 50 meters.”

Pratyasha does not remember these early days; everything she knows comes from her mother. She said, “A local coach in Sambalpur recognized my potential and suggested I take up competitive swimming.”

At the age of eight, Pratyasha started training professionally at the Jhasketan Sahu Swimming Pool Complex under Rankanidhi Seth. “During this period, my father, Rajat Kumar Ray, who works in the Odisha government, was transferred to Bhubaneswar. I then began professional training in Kalinga Stadium Swimming Pool. Balancing studies and sports, I am now pursuing a double postgraduate degree from Utkal University,” she said.

In these years, Pratyasha has won multiple medals at the national and international level. Apart from her exploits in the Khelo India University Games, the Odisha swimmer also participated in three editions of Khelo India Youth Games, winning four silver and three bronze medals.

Her best performance in KIUG came in Guwahati last year where she won four golds, one silver and one bronze medal and was therefore conferred with the Eklavya Award by Indian Metal Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT).

But soon after those Games, she suffered a hairline fracture in her shoulder. “Surgery Was not needed, but I needed two months of rehab. Because of rehab, I had to stay away from my main backstroke events, but I did not give up. To maintain my racing ability, I started competing in freestyle and also in longer events of 200 and 400 meters.”

She not only recovered in time for the Senior Nationals in September last year but also finished with a gold medal in relay and silver medal in 100m backstroke and is now aiming to make it to the Indian team for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

“My goal is to participate in the Asian Games, but before that, I want to compete in the World University Games and improve my timing. I love swimming, so I just want to swim, but I also want to achieve milestones for myself along the way.”
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PHOTO: Odisha swimming icon Pratyasa Ray poses with one of her three gold medals at the 5th Khelo India University Games 2025 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. ~Courtesy: SAI Media.