Armless man aims to 'get into record books' by swimming the English Channel blindfolded with his legs tied together

A physically-challenged swimmer who has participated in several international events has set his sights on a new record.

He wants to swim across the English Channel, blindfolded with his legs tied together. 

Binod Kumar Singh - a resident of Barasikwara village in Siwan district of Bihar - is no ordinary swimmer. 

'I will try to get into record books by crossing the English Channel with my legs tied together and eyes covered,' said Binod Kumar Singh

He has won many national pool swimming championships

"I will try to get into record books by crossing the English Channel with my legs tied together and eyes covered," he said. 

The indomitable swimmer, who specialises in butterfly stroke, said his coach was initially apprehensive of allowing him to swim, but Singh's natural abilities to swim effortlessly impressed him. 

Binod - a lower division clerk (LDC) with the Minor Water Resources Department of the Bihar government - leaves for Kolkata every Friday evening to practise swimming and returns to Patna on Monday morning. 

Binod Kumar Singh, from Bihar, has won many national pool swimming championships

"I do not have an easy access to any swimming pool in Bihar where I can practise regularly," he said.

"I, therefore, have to go to Kolkata to hone my skills. I'm doing this to fulfil my dreams." 

Binod, however, is not able to devote full time to his passion. He has to go to office everyday from 9am to 5pm.

He had got the LDC's job on sports quota two years ago, but it gave him little time to practise swimming. 

"I have been doing the clerical job at the state secretariat since March 2012, but I make it a point to go to Kolkata on Saturdays and Sundays so that I can practise swimming for eight to nine hours a day there," he said. 

Binod doesn't face any problem in doing office work. He uses his feet effectively to do all household and office chores.

"I do not face any inconvenience at work," he said. 

Thirty three-year-old Binod has participated in several national and international swimming competitions between 2005 and 2011.

Apart from the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, he took part in the 2006 Asian Pacific Games in Malaysia, World Amputee Sport Games 2007 in Taiwan and German Open Swimming Championships in 2008 among other international events.

Son of a retired Kolkata schoolteacher, Binod passed his Class 10 and Class 12 exams conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education with good marks before he moved to Gaya in Bihar to pursue his graduation course.

But it was swimming that gave him the zeal to excel regardless of the odds he faced.

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