Every woman who considers advancing age a hindrance in achieving her goals should learn from Uma Mani. Uma Mani is a coral woman from India who learned diving at the age of 49. She learned about the ecosystem by diving in the sea and is now working on coral reef conservation through her art.
It is said that when there is a desire to achieve some goal, then the person overcomes every obstacle on the strength of his strong will. Coral woman Uma Mani justifies this. Uma Mani loved painting from a young age. In those days, Uma’s grandparents thought painting was a waste of paper and colored pencils. They would forbid her from painting. She was asked to focus only on studies and marriage. When she resolved to learn swimming and diving at the age of 49, relatives commented, “This is the age to become your grandmother.” This time Uma had decided to move ahead. She kept moving towards her goal. At the age of 59, Uma Mani has been given the title of ‘Coral Woman’ of India. She has now become passionate about her art. She is concerned about coral reefs inside the sea and makes people aware about ocean conservation.
Mission to save the sea
She is full of childlike enthusiasm. “Don’t call me madam. I am younger than you! I was reborn at the age of 45. So honestly, I am just 14,” she says, laughing while talking to Health Shots in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. She is light-hearted by nature but has a passion for a bigger mission in her heart. “The sea is actually an ocean. We need many hands and minds to save the sea from that trauma,” she says, concerned about the state of coral reefs, marine life and climate change.
Happy family life and painting (House maker and painter Uma Mani)
Uma Mani was a contented housewife before she rediscovered her love for drawing and painting at the age of 45. She cooked, washed clothes, cleaned, went to the market to buy vegetables, talked to people and sometimes taught yoga or gave English tuitions. Once she started painting again, her life changed.
As a child, Uma Mani used to paint gardens, plants and flowers. When she was 39, she moved with her husband from the lush green environs of Chennai in India to the blue waters of the Maldives. Water fascinated her, but she did not know how to swim. She continued painting flowers.
Coral reefs inspired diving (Uma Mani inspirational story)
One day she got a chance to watch a documentary on coral reefs. She started making paintings based on coral reefs. She says, “For four years I was painting on corals without seeing them in real life. During an exhibition in 2014, someone told me, ‘You should see coral reefs under water and then paint.’ I felt that now is the right time for me to learn swimming and diving.”
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That moment became a turning point. Undeterred by the constant nagging of relatives about her advancing age and gender discrimination, Uma Mani decided to break the prejudice.
Had to learn swimming before diving (Swimming and Diving)
Uma Mani went to the Maldives to sign up for a diving course. There, she was asked to first learn swimming to navigate any underwater emergency with ease. She had to move to Chennai, where she learnt to swim. “People thought I was crazy. They would say, ‘You want to be a grandmother at this age. Don’t go and break your arms and legs!’ All the elderly women in Chennai would ask, ‘Why do you want to do this?’ I said, ‘That’s all I want.’ Of course, they had many questions. But Uma didn’t answer any of them.
When I dived into the sea for the first time (Sea Diving)
Nearly a decade later, she laughs about the first time her diving coach told her to jump. She was at the edge of the boat. She couldn’t jump until she convinced herself. She told herself, “I’ve come this far… I have to jump.”
That first dive left an indelible impression on her mind. Mesmerized by the movement, colour and magnificence of the coral reefs, she began to question herself, “Why did I deprive myself of this beautiful experience before?” Today, the 32-year-old mother of a son is grateful for her determination and the support of her husband and son. “It also made me feel that I did it… I took a risk,” she says. She now insists that “diving is easier than walking.”
The journey from Coral Woman to ‘Earth Champion’ (Coral Woman Uma Mani)
Since then, she has dived underwater at least 25 times. Each time she is inspired to spread the word about coral reef conservation through her art. Uma keeps a diving log, in which she writes in detail about the location, time and experience of each dive.
In 2018, her life story was made into a documentary titled ‘Coral Woman’. Filmmaker Priya Thuvassery found the inspiring story of a housewife who fell in love with corals. Uma then went on to draw people’s attention to the devastating effects of climate change on marine life and coastal communities through her art. Uma Mani’s continuous efforts led to Sony BBC Earth recognizing her as an ‘Earth Champion’.
Aim of sea awareness
Looking back she says, “This journey has taken its own flow. I started with painting and diving. But when I realised the problem of underwater coral reefs and ocean pollution – that is when I started thinking differently. My vision from a happy coral reef to a sad coral reef started bothering me.
Now I talk to people during exhibitions, colleges and organizations. I tell them that we are leaving carbon footprints in the form of garbage and plastic in the sea. The marine environment and organisms are suffering because of them. This disaster is playing a very important role in climate change. Every person should be aware of his responsibility towards protecting the sea.”
Being physically active is the fitness mantra (Uma Mani Fitness mantra)
To keep herself fit even at the age of almost 60, Uma Mani keeps herself physically active. She talks about her fitness like a celebrity: “Staying active is my fitness mantra.” Truth be told, she only does what most women did in the past – a lot of household chores. She does not depend on a helper or a personal vehicle for her work. She travels in public transport. She makes sure she walks to the temple every day and stays on her feet with her four adorable dogs.
She informs, “I realised that if I suddenly want to go diving, it is not possible to carry 20 kilos on my back! So I have to work on my body every day. I exercise. I do yoga, I walk and stay positive. I am careful about my food. I go to bed by 9 pm. My husband always says, ‘It is your choice to live your life well.’ So I got into a proper routine.”
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