10 years, 100+ members: Kerala swimming club inspires fitness

Their day begins with a dip in the river, a few laps through the water and, finally, a steaming cup of tea. For more than 100 members of the Swimmers Club in Kerala's Kottakkal in Malappuram, this has been their morning ritual for nearly a decade. Every morning, the members gather at Kallakkayam Kadavu on the Kadalundi river for their swimming session. In this rural area, where health clubs and fitness centres are few, the river has become their fitness zone. A boat and inflated tyre tubes are kept ready in the river as safety measures, while members also follow basic precautions during their daily swim.

Started by a handful of swimming enthusiasts 10 years ago, the group has since grown into a 100-plus-member club. Its members, drawn from Kottakkal municipality and neighbouring panchayats such as Othukkungal, Vengara and Parappur, span different professions and generations. They may have little else in common, but the morning swim brings them together every day.

A full-body workout
Swimming engages almost every part of the body, providing members with a full-body workout and helping them stay fit, they say. The group has also taken its association beyond swimming and fitness, turning its camaraderie into a commitment to community service. Members have helped several financially disadvantaged families build houses and provided treatment assistance to accident victims and people suffering from kidney, liver and heart ailments. They also organise cleaning drives and beautification activities around the riverbank on occasions such as Independence Day and Republic Day.

Pullumbalavan Nuhman Bava is the president of the club, while Jabbar Valayangadan is the secretary and C H Zainudheen the treasurer. Sabah Kundupuzhakkal, Mustafa Thottasseri, Shooja Mohammed, Poochengal Alavi, I Saleem and Shamsudheen Anjukandan are the executive members. Membership is renewed, and new office-bearers are elected every year.

A lush riverside park, built by Parappur panchayat near the ghat, has also become a favourite spot for members to unwind after their swim. Once the morning session ends, the swimmers head to Hamsakka’s eatery nearby for steaming cups of tea. They chat for a while and bid each other goodbye, only to return to the river the next morning.