Rio 2016: Nepal’s earthquake survivor Gaurika Singh is the youngest Olympian

Representing your country and that too at the biggest sporting event in the world is indeed a daunting prospect for any athlete, but for the 13-year-old Olympian Gaurika Singh, it also pales in comparison with surviving an earthquake in her native Nepal.

At 13 years and almost 255 days, the swimmer will be the youngest to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics, when she will be taking to the pool for her women’s 100 metres backstroke heats on Sunday.

Singh said “That is something quite cool, a bit unreal too” who had already broken seven national records. “I wanted to go but was not sure if I will be able to because I am too young. When I found out a month ago, it came as a big shock.”

Gaurika Singh

But this was nothing like the shock she had experienced when the youngster, who moved to England with her family when she was two, and her sister and mother found themselves at the heart of the earthquake that had struck Nepal when she returned to her home country in April last year to further take part in the national championship.

She explained the entire incident as terrifying, and said that they were on the fifth floor of their building, from where it was difficult to escape. But they were fortunate enough, as the building was new and did not collapse like other

As devastation struck close to her heart and home, Singh had chosen to donate all her winnings from the restaged championship to a charity which has been set up by her father’s friend, who made her a goodwill ambassador.

Her proud father, Paras, has said: “She is special. It is unbelievable that she is the youngest Olympian in Rio and also amazing how she copes with all the pressure.”