Meet India's fastest swimming couple, Virdhawal Khade and Rujuta Khade, whose love story has been inspirational.
Indian swimmer, Virdhawal Khade is a name that needs no introduction at the moment. The Olympic champion, known for his incredible successes at both national and international levels of the game. It was in 2006 when Virdhawal made his record breaking score in freestyle swimming, in categories of 50m, 100m and 200m events. In fact, he was the youngest Indian swimmer ever to qualify for the Olympics. In his personal life, Virdhawal is married to India's fastest female swimmer, Rujuta Khade. While for many, their match seems quite impossible, their simple tale of love will prove how in rare cases, similar people do attract.
Born in August 1991 in Maharashtra, Virdhawal Khade’s success to become India’s fastest swimmer has not been a cakewalk. While he had a passion for swimming from quite an early age, it took him several attempts and endless practice of literally shedding blood and sweat to reach such a pedestal. It was in 2008 when Virdhawal first set an Indian national record in 200 meters freestyle swimming at Summer Olympics in Beijing.
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Back in 1995, when he was barely 4 years old, it was Virdhawal’s father, who belonged from a sports background, engaged his son into a summer camp and thereby introduced him to the world of swimming. It was his coach at this camp who noticed Virdhawal’s natural ease in water while swimming, and thereafter trained him well in swimming. In 1996, he won his first-ever medal at a small sports event.
It was in 2008 when Virdhawal Khade got his first big break at the Olympics games, being the youngest ever Indian swimmer to qualify for the championship. While he didn’t win big at the event, he secured a personal best score of 50.07 seconds. In 2010, Virdhawal took part in the Commonwealth Games, where he made history by qualifying as well as finishing the finals in the sixth position. Khade then won a bronze medal at the 16th Asian Games.
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It was in 2015 when Virdhawal crossed paths with Rujuta. The two of them had known each other for a long time, as the latter too was attempting to make a national record in swimming. However, over the time, their acquaintanship evolved into friendship, and thereafter, they realised their love for one another. By the end of 2015, it was Rujuta who asked Virdhawal out on a date. Thereafter, the duo tied the knot in 2017.
For the unversed, Rujuta has earned an equal name in the arena of swimming, and has secured the position of India’s fastest female swimmer. The duo has participated in a number of championships together, thereby earning the name of the country’s fastest swimming couple. Back in 2019, Rujuta and Virdhawal earned hattrick scores at the Glenmark National Senior Aquatics Championship, at the 50m freestyle event, with a mere difference of 26 seconds.
Despite being in the same profession, Virdhawal and Rujuta has been far from being competitive, and instead has been one another’s biggest supporters and cheerleaders. Back in 2019, after Rujuta won the grand title at the Glenmark National championship for the 50m freestyle title, it was Virdhawal, who, with bated breath, witnessed each and every moment of his wife, as she finished her victory lap. Speaking to Sportstar, the doting husband opened up about witnessing the nail-biting moments of his wife, Rutuja and said:
“I think it was one of the most stressful races in my life, my heart was pumping hard when she raced. She had raced at the Nationals before 2015 but after we got married in 2017 this is the first time she is racing in a National competition."
Recently, Virdhawal Khade grabbed a lot of spotlight, after he trained Bollywood actor, Kartik Aaryan in swimming for his film, Chandu Champion. The Arjuna-awardee athlete closely trained the actor, and was even responsible for the actor pulling off the swimming sequences in the film with panache. In one of his social media posts, Virdhawal dropped a hearty picture with Kartik Aaryan and filmmaker, Kabir Khan, as he congratulated them for their success with the film.
What do you think about Virdhawal and Rujuta’s inspirational story?
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