With the blast of the starter signal, Edirisinghe dives headfirst into the cold water. Stroke by stroke, she charges toward the finish line — and to her dream of the Olympics.

 Junior Mihini Edirisinghe sets high standards through her love for competition. “I’m a sports enthusiast. I participate in six sports, but of them all, I am best at swimming. My biggest dream was to compete competitively in swimming,” she said.

Edirisinghe’s swimming endeavor began when her mom prompted her to take lessons as a toddler. “I initially refused to go into the pool. But once I dived in with my eyes closed, I was no longer scared,” she said.

Gradually, she fostered her skill through consistency. “After that, I took swimming lessons day by day. I took small steps and learned basic strokes,” Edirisinghe said.

By elementary school, her schedule revolved around training. “I had morning practices from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. After that, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., I had afterschool practices, followed by 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. outside of school practices,” Edirisinghe said.

A moment of recognition reaffirmed her dedication. “The 2016 and 2020 Sri Lankan Olympic swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe gave me a 2016 Inter House Swimming Meet ‘Best Swimmer Award.’ When he congratulated me, I knew I wanted to become an Olympic swimmer,” Edirisinghe said.

A year later, Edirisinghe’s hard work paid off at the 2017 Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union for the under-11 women’s freestyle division. “I ranked fourth, out of the 300 people swimming in the competition,” she said.

Over time, swimming shaped her identity. “I love swimming because it feels like mine. Swimming is the only time I truly feel like I’m in my element,” she said.

In spite of her success in the pool, juggling training and academics tested her discipline. “It was difficult balancing swimming and academics because school was getting harder and I had to study for the national exam. But I continued swimming because I loved it so much,” she said.

Then, the Sri Lankan economic crisis struck. “We had no gas, no fuel, and no food because we had stopped importing items. People got tired and started protesting. Teachers also protested and refused to teach us, so I didn’t have school for two years,” she said.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen next. We didn’t have much food, which was a huge issue. It was a crazy time,” Edirisinghe said.

Stress soon undermined her health. “I was diagnosed with anemia during the crisis, and it worsened with time. Also, because I was handling swimming and academics at the same time, my condition worsened. I didn’t eat for a while, and just focused on studying until midnight,” she said.

Looking for a fresh start, Edirisinghe moved to South Korea to continue her swimming career. “I wanted to come to Korea because I have a higher chance of succeeding as a swimmer here. It has more facilities that I could use to improve,” she said.

However, her health troubles followed. “I was still stressed. I stopped having food, and I only slept for two or three hours. I was caffeinated, and my anemia worsened. I also had trouble breathing when I participated in sports,” Edirisinghe said.

Her declining health ultimately put an end to her swimming career. “I had to stop swimming because the doctors advised me not to do any competitive sports,” she said. Even moderate exertion made Edirisinghe feel out of breath when she participated in intense sports.

Despite her dream on hold, Edirisinghe’s love for swimming remains unwavering. A step back from competition, Edirisinghe embraces the slower rhythm of life in Korea. “During my free time, I like to go to Haeundae with my friends to relieve stress,” she said.

Nevertheless, she seeks ways to dive back into her greatest passion. “I am recovering and am taking medicine. Hopefully, I’ll be able to swim again,” she said.

“When I jump into the water, I feel a sense of confidence and rhythm,” she said, “I can’t live without it.”