In my brief career as a journalist, I have met the famous, not-so-famous and many others, but it is only a few who have made a lasting impression on yours truly. One such individual is Heshan Unamboowe, the child prodigy who continues to go for a medal at every swimming event he participates in. A few months back, I was amazed to find a normal, good-looking kid claiming to be Heshan Unamboowe (I had never laid eyes on him), an acclaimed swimmer, in fact a national treasure, who bore no resemblance to the somewhat egocentric folks in our island. Here was a guy who had brushed shoulders with the bourgeoisie elite in the sporting arena such as Michael Phelps and seemed nonchalant about it.

The phenomenal youngster celebrated his 16th birthday on May 19 (Vesak Day) amidst a gathering of family and friends and that too was a sublime event; not for him the raunchy rave parties which many 16-year-olds demand in this era, especially the notorious ‘uns. The walls of his home were adorned with framed paintings done by a child. Upon inquiring, his mother admitted that Heshan used to paint as a child, a talent which has been relegated to the back burner due to his busy schedule. Heshan seems to have inherited his charm from his mother and his subdued characteristics from his father but the most important factor that keeps him steadfast and humble is the warmth and love which was almost tangible that festive night.

His whole family made us feel very welcome laying claim to the fact that a loving family can mould a child into a valuable person. "No one ever writes about us!," quipped his paternal grandmother, with twinkle in her eyes but it is correct that they should be specially mentioned for their guidance and support during the formative years.

Although his hopes of representing Sri Lanka in the 2008 Olympics were dashed, Heshan’s resilience continuous to increase the number of accolades he acquires in his quest for perfection in swimming. "His inherent talent was discovered per chance," informed his mother, "As a child, my daughter Heshani and Heshan were affected by terrible bouts of wheezing and the pediatrician recommended swimming as the perfect antidote."

Q: What are your future aspirations?

A: My future aspirations in the sports field would be to do the best for my country till I feel that I should give up. Till then I will just keep pushing, because I’m confident enough that I can do something special. Other than that, I would like to go ahead in the aeronautical engineering field because ‘flying a plane one day’ was one of my childhood dreams and later on it developed into aeronautical engineering.

A: I really admire Michael Phelps of the United States because he is a swimmer who just keeps going. He managed to get a world record at the mere age of 15 and I believe that is something GREAT! And also, not just because of that, but he could be called as an ‘all rounder’ in swimming. He excels in a number of events and not many swimmers possess that talent!

A: I love music. Especially slow music and hip hop. Mainly because that’s the only thing I get to do when I find some free time. I would also like to hang out with my friends whenever possible because life is so hectic, specially this year with exams, training and everything. So that’s a way of relaxing away. I’m also interested in sports such as rugby and cricket.

A: Of course not! I disagree with that. I believe that swimming, in a way has helped me make friends with a number of people from so many schools and it has even been helpful developing international relationships with swimmers. Having so many friends around me is a kind of a boost because I know that they will never let me down, but will be with me at both in good and bad times. Girlfriend? Umm, well I do have a lot of female friends, but I wouldn’t want to go into a serious kind of relationship right now due to a number of reasons. And also it’s not going to be easy to maintain that kind of a relationship with my studies, training and stuff. Pretty lame, ha?

A: Nothing comes easy in life. Dedication and love for the sport should come from within you. No one else can create that for you. Set goals in life and try your best to achieve them. Just setting goals is not going to help but you GOT to work real hard in order to achieve them. Always aim step by step. The goal of a novice swimmer should not be to swim at the Olympic Games or anything of that sort but to aim for a level that is achievable. If you do so with a lot of commitment, then nothing will stop you from getting what you really want.

A: No way! I don’t want to have any. I cannot concentrate on anything when I have enemies around. I do have rival competitors when it comes to the sport. But I don’t see it in a bad way because that creates a lot of competition amongst us and I like it.

A: Swimming at the Olympic Games was my ultimate dream from the day I started competitive swimming. It is a really sad thing that I missed the opportunity of swimming at the Beijing Games this time because I really wanted it! Of course there were a lot of issues regarding the selections and I was on the verge of getting selected. However, later on, I was informed of a trial just two weeks prior to the date when it was supposed to be held. But still I accepted it and trained with so much confidence, but two days before the trial date, I was told that the trial had been cancelled. That was like the saddest day of my life. I could have easily made up my mind if the selections were made through a trial, but this was so unexpected. My parents, coaches, friends, teachers and so many other people were really upset about it. More than anyone, I was really hurt about the whole issue because, swimming at the Olympic Games while schooling is something really great and not all sports people get that opportunity. Anyway, there is no point in even talking about it now. Because I’m confident enough that I’m going to qualify for the next Games and I will prove that I’m capable of SOMETHING!

A: My family has been there behind me at all times, specially my parents and if not for them I would have never come up this far. My mom’s name is Priyanga Unamboowe and my dad’s name is Dudley Unamboowe. They’ve been like my guardian angels right throughout. I should mention about my mother at this moment because she takes so much effort and sacrifices so much for the benefit of my career and I will indeed be grateful to her always. Not forgetting my dad, he is an engineer, working for the ARAMCO Oil Company in Saudi Arabia. He too is very supportive and always makes sure to be in the country whenever I take part in a major competition. Talking about my grandparents, they are so very loving and are the happiest whenever I win or achieve something. Both my grandfathers, Cyril Ekanayake and Raja Ranawake passed away five years and eight months ago respectively. My grandmothers’ names are Sujatha Ranawake and Beatrice Ekanayake.

A: Hmmm… Well, mainly because I think I’m not THAT famous to be affected by anything. Oh God, Roch, why do you have to ask me such complicated questions?