Meet former Kidz at Sea participant Mohit Nebhwani, who is now studying in Holland. He has joined the board of his local sailing club at Uni and is head of maintenance for the club boats. He sails lasers throughout all seasons (even winter) in Holland.
Mohit is a born St. Maartener. He grew up on island attending preschool and then continued his school years at St. Dominic Primary, St. Dominic High and, lastly, the St. Dominic International Baccalaureate (IB) program. He is currently pursuing International Track in Medicine at Maastricht University.
What were the subjects you did at school?
I’ve always had a liking towards the sciences and therefore took the complete triad of natural sciences – biology, chemistry and physics – throughout high school and IB. However, I think it’s important to get a well-rounded education; so along the way, I took a course in business management, Spanish, and Dutch which has definitely helped with getting by in the Netherlands.
Why did you choose to go to Holland to study?
I hold a Dutch passport, which aids in one’s acceptance and integration into the Netherlands. My elder sister studied in the Netherlands and after visiting her a couple years ago, I realized that I really appreciate the European culture and the preservation of their history – visiting centuries’ old buildings is captivating. Maastricht University offered my course (medicine) in a more practical-based setting when compared to the more traditional form of studying medicine. Instead of burying ourselves in books and lectures, we practice clinical skills and consultations from literally the first day of the year.
When did you decide what course you would be doing at Uni?
I chose to pursue medicine after recognizing that I enjoy helping others who can’t help themselves. Working with Sr. Basilia Center and the AIDs foundation, and helping out at Sr. Magda Primary School helped me realize that. It was just a year before leaving school that I really decided on this course. I have no regrets!
What do you want to achieve with these subjects?
To become a doctor, of course. I would like to practice in a social setting, meeting patients directly as either a surgeon in a hospital or as a medical specialist, such as a neurologist or cardiologist in my own practice.
Were you interested in sports while at school?
I wasn’t the fittest of the bunch, but what young boy doesn’t love sports?! At a younger age, I practiced Tae kwan do until getting my black belt. I played a little bit of soccer in school and played squash with friends. Sports really took off for me when I started sailing and that’s truly when I felt the competitive thrill and the necessary teamwork involved with playing a sport.
Living on an island, did you do much on the water?
Born February under the Zodiac sign of Aquarius, I’m a natural born water baby! I’m really fond of scuba diving, snorkelling, free diving, and long-distance swimming. I think the feat that I’m most proud of is swimming for four hours with a group of friends in the open waters from the edge of Great Bay all the way to Kim Sha Beach.
What idea did the Kidz at Sea foundation approach schools with?
Kidz at Sea approached schools with a goal in mind: to introduce the sport of sailing to those who hadn’t experienced it before, with the intention of teaching them the importance and relevance of such a worldwide sport to our little island.
What induced you to get involved?
While I was sitting in physics class, a good friend and classmate of mine, Wesley Sint Jago, asked if I had gone sailing before; I had not! He asked if I would like to, the answer was an emphatic yes! Wesley was part of the Kidz at Sea Foundation a year before me and if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been introduced to the hobby that I love so much today.
What do you feel you gained from the experience?
Many experiences and memories have been made while sailing with friends. I think one of the most important aspects is that sailing, especially competitive sailing, enhances your ability to function under pressure. You must be able to make the right decisions at the right time; otherwise, you might receive a face full of water and a capsized boat. Additionally, it helped me understand that I needed to be able to trust others when it comes to dedicated tasks on a bigger sailboat. All of us have a job, whether it’s steering, navigating, tightening and loosening sails; and if our teamwork is good enough, we function like a well-oiled machine ready to win any race.
Are you following through with sailing while at Uni?
Yes; I joined the sailing club of my university – M.S.Z.V. Lagakari. I sail to work on my skills, but to have fun too. I have experienced different boats and sailing environments – some a bit colder than my liking. I joined the board of my association as head of the Technical Committee, therefore taking charge of the wellbeing of our sailboats, ensuring that they are always repaired and safe for our members to sail.
As it is cold in Holland, do they shut down all summer water sports in winter?
Water sports – sailing and wind-surfing – take a pause generally from early October till late March. For some die-hards, the fun never ends; the sailing continues. One time, I went sailing with some friends at the end of March and experienced what it was like to fall into water that was 7 degrees Celsius when my boat capsized! I was wearing a life vest, but it was as if almost all the air had left my lungs because of the temperature; it was incredibly difficult to swim back to turn my boat over. Two warm blankets and three hot cups of tea later, I was back on the water sailing a little more carefully.
Would you like to continue with the sport after Uni?
Once you really get into sailing, it becomes less of a hobby/sport and more of a lifestyle. I’d like to work on my sailing level to the point of being an instructor for a sailboat class known as Lasers. I’d be able to teach new sailors the joys and difficulties of sailing. I would like to one day own my own sailboat/yacht and continue sailing with family and friends.
What are your favourite genres of music?
It can flow from electronic dance music to reggaeton to pop music. It is really and truly all over the place. I’m not a fan of country or heavy metal.
What are the things that annoy you most in life?
A personal pet peeve: I absolutely hate when people chew with their mouths open – the sound and sight are simply triggering. I dislike when people, including myself, self-doubt. I believe that you should always believe in your ability to commit or do something. If you’re worried that you might fail, give it a try and fail. At least you’ll know that you’ve tried your best and that maybe it wasn’t meant to be; but if you try and you succeed, then you’ll know that your ability is greater than what you anticipated.
What are the things that make you feel at peace?
If I am stressed or worried, I stay in my room at first, put on the sound of ocean waves crashing on the beach, and just think and reflect about what is worrying me. After that, I’d speak to someone close about whatever it is to find out ways of solving it.
Would you like to see the Kidz at Sea program continue?
Of course I would! I’d love to see the Kidz at Sea program grow to introduce more and more kids to the art of sailing and help them develop a lifelong passion. I believe that if a program changed my life so drastically for what I believe is the better, I’d definitely want to see it progress without delay, possibly with winning more Heineken Regattas and races.
What are your future hopes and dreams?
I’ve still got four years of medicine study, but my dream in the end is to work in a job where I am truly helping those people who need the help. My hope is that by the time I am practicing, we’ll have many more advanced procedures to help the people that we currently can’t treat.
