Inside the Barnett Copthall Swimming Club in Mill Hill area of north west London, the 13-year-old Nepali swimmer Gaurika Singh carefully listens to instructions of her British coach Rhys Gormley. At the sophisticated swimming club, Singh is giving final touch to her preparations for the Rio Olympics where she will represent Nepal in 100m backstroke.

Singh has been training at the club for the last four years making her the best swimmer of Nepal so far. Singh broke Nepal’s drought of individual medal at international event, claiming one silver and three bronze medals during the 12th South Asian Games in Assam and Guwahati in India early this year.

“She (Singh) has matured over the last couple of years especially after getting exposed to the high-level competitions like World Cup in Dubai, SA Games and World Championships in Kazan. Those events have helped her grow,” Gormley said during an evening training session in Barnett.

In her two-year adventure with Nepali swimming, Singh has broken almost every other records. Her improving performance lines her up among the senior swimmers at the club. The club shortlists swimmers from a large number and Singh is the final 24 best among them, informed Gormley. The swimmer’s family, here since 2004, has not taken British citizenship to allow their daughter to play for Nepal.

Singh’s father Paras in an urologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London and accompanies her daughter in every international meet. Her mother, Garima a former SLC board topper, takes the responsibility of taking care of her training schedules.

Garima considers Gormley as a disciplinarian. “Gormley has not even allowed her to talk about swimming with us. He believes that it might distract her,” said Garima. The-13-year-old swimmer completes eight to nine sessions a week. Gormley is aiming at intensifying her training regime because he is well aware of her strength.

“She has improved rapidly over the last one and half years. She has moved into the senior group due to her work rate. I think she would actually be capable of representing Great Britain but she has a Nepali passport,” the coach added.

With a lot to give in what could be a stellar career as a professional swimmer, Gormley just wants Singh to gain more experience in the Olympics in Brazil that begins from August 5. “She is just going (to Rio) for experience. She will surely break Nepal’s record of 1:07 (in 100m backstroke). I expect her to make it 1:06 but needs to be down to 1:01 by the next Olympics and that is what we are aiming at.”

Singh was modest too. “I am trying hard and like to break my own mark. I have a lot to do in Rio because the level there would be very high,” said Singh for whom playing for Nepal in the Olympics has been a dream that she never dreamt of. Gaurika holds the Nepali national record of 1:07.31 in the event, which is five second better than the men’s national record in the same event. Gormley wants Gaurika to finish inside top eight or top 16 in the Olympics. He is gunning for the swimmer to clinch gold in South Asian Games in next edition. Before the Olympics, Singh will warm up with the British Open Age-group Swimming Championships slated for August 26-31 in Sheffield.