Australian swimmer, Stephanie Rice who won three gold medals- all in world record time-in 2008 Olympics is aiming to set up her swimming academy in India to train young talented swimmers and prepare them to win medals at 2024 and 2028 Olympics.

Just as P V Sindhu excelled in badminton and won laurels for her country, Rice said that she hopes to have an Indian swimmer on the podium. “My goal is to produce India’s PV Sindhu in swimming,” says Rice.

The Swimming Academy

The academy aims to train elite swimmers who are above 13 years of age and who are already training at a club. Rice believes that the only thing coming between Indian swimmers and an Olympic medal is world-class training which she intends to give. After her retirement in 2012, Rice has been thinking of making available the fruits of her own experience, knowledge and training, to others.

Rice will set up the Stephanie Rice Swimming Academy (SRSA)  in any city that has a facility that covers the needs of the academy and is equally excited about the possibility of producing an Olympic Medallist.

India Connection

Rice has visited India many times and calls the country her second home. She visited India in 2016 as an expert analyst during the Rio Olympics, and in 2018 as a presenter during the Pro Kabaddi League. Once the academy is set up, Rice will personally train the athletes for 3-4 months spreading out over the whole year. She said that she would be with the athletes as often as she can as she wants to win their confidence and trust in the process of making them winners.

With Rice’s swimming academy, we can hope that the problems of lack of infrastructure and professionally managed coaching programmes will be overcome and the country can produce world-class swimmers at the biggest podiums.