“Swimming was not really the first sport that I had thought of. I had done badminton and gymnastics before, but not swimming. But one day, one of my friends  knocked me into a pond by mistake. By the time my dad came to help., I had already swallowed some water. After that incident, I had this fear of water until my dad decided to put me in a swimming camp in the  summer of 1991.”

“In 1992,  we were going to this APAC Annual meet. Back then, I was ten and didn’t understand a lot of things. I didn’t know it was a big deal and there was no pressure, it was just fun. I was simply enjoying my time in Hong Kong and I didn’t think that I would be competing with some of the best in Asia. I got a bronze and that’s when I realized, I could do this professionally. I was watching the Barcelona Olympics and I saw how Matt Biondi dives into the pool like a dolphin, that was when I decided that this is what I want to do.”

“My most frightening day was in 2012 when I was doing commentary with Times Now with Arnab Goswami for the Olympics. It was an exciting time. When I left for the commentary, my father was absolutely fine. In fact, he was still coaching the last time I saw him. But while I was away, my mother told me that he had a high fever and urinary infection. When I spoke to him, he was lisping and didn’t have the energy and at one point, my mother told me that he couldn’t even get up from the bed to come see me. We had our family doctor come over and he told us that due to the urinary infection he was paralysed from the neck and down. At one point they had told us that  he wouldn’t make it. He had surgery and he was on a ventilator. However, the great news is that he got better though he had to be in a wheelchair. That was the one day when I felt the most helpless.”

“I have no regrets as such in life. Whether or not you win a medal or participate in the Olympics, sport teaches you a lot. My kids will play a sport, it doesn’t matter if it is their profession or just a hobby. I am Nisha Millet.”