11-year-old Neel Ramakrishnan pulls his white yacht to the cove of harbour, sets the mast upright, steps into the yacht and begins sailing as if he belonged to the world of water.
Seconds later, Dev Ramakrishnan, a 13-year-old with autism, follows his brother’s actions and also proceeds to set sail comfortably in his yacht. Dev says he enjoys breaking the waves and saying hello to fishes that occasionally surface. “I love using the tillers to steer,” he adds.
The children’s father D. Ramakrishnan says the sport has done them a world of good. “Neel was introduced to sailing at seven when an acquaintance suggested the sport. Today, he has become a top-notch sailor and will represent the country at the Asian Sailing championship to be held in Hong Kong next month” he says.
Soon after Neel began, Dev too wanted to venture into sailing. But Mr. Ramakrishnan and his wife Sabarimala were sceptical. “He had learnt a fair bit of swimming. That eventually gave us the confidence last year that he could sail,” he says.
After a year of practice, Dev can now sail without assistance. However, there is always a person keeping an eye on him from a rescue boat to ensure his safety, he adds.
11 years ago, when they found that Dev had autism, they were distraught. Despite knowing of the disorder, they put him in a regular school initially. Only a few years ago did they finally realise that they ought to admit him in a special school.
Mr. Ramakrishnan says, “After Dev got into sailing, there has been a significant improvement in his behaviour and health. Of course, this would not have happened without Neel’s help,” he says.
Ramakrishnan hopes that one day, Neel would participate in the Olympics and Dev in the Special Olympics.
