Meet Abdul Malik, a teacher from Kerala, India — who has been crossing the Kadalundi River by swimming to reach school… since 1994.
Every morning, with his books and clothes sealed in a plastic bag, he floats on a rubber tube and swims 15–30 minutes across the river. Then he changes and walks to class… like it’s just another normal day.
Why?
Because the alternative is a 12 km journey with multiple buses taking nearly 3 hours each way.
So he chose the river.
During monsoons, the current turns fierce.
Debris floats past.
Even snakes appear in the water.
But he never stops.
In over 20 years, he has never been late. Not once.
His students call him “Tube Master” — and greet him every morning knowing exactly what it takes for him to be there.
But that’s not all…
He also teaches kids how to swim, organizes river clean-ups, and turns the very river he crosses into a classroom for life lessons.
By his own estimate, he’s swum nearly 700 km over the years.
And yet, he says:
“I don’t have big dreams… I just want to reach school on time and be a good role model.”
No fame. No excuses. No missed days.
Just a man… crossing a river every day…
so his students can cross into a better future.
Every morning, with his books and clothes sealed in a plastic bag, he floats on a rubber tube and swims 15–30 minutes across the river. Then he changes and walks to class… like it’s just another normal day.
Why?
Because the alternative is a 12 km journey with multiple buses taking nearly 3 hours each way.
So he chose the river.
During monsoons, the current turns fierce.
Debris floats past.
Even snakes appear in the water.
But he never stops.
In over 20 years, he has never been late. Not once.
His students call him “Tube Master” — and greet him every morning knowing exactly what it takes for him to be there.
But that’s not all…
He also teaches kids how to swim, organizes river clean-ups, and turns the very river he crosses into a classroom for life lessons.
By his own estimate, he’s swum nearly 700 km over the years.
And yet, he says:
“I don’t have big dreams… I just want to reach school on time and be a good role model.”
No fame. No excuses. No missed days.
Just a man… crossing a river every day…
so his students can cross into a better future.
Meet Abdul Malik, a teacher from Kerala, India — who has been crossing the Kadalundi River by swimming to reach school… since 1994.
Every morning, with his books and clothes sealed in a plastic bag, he floats on a rubber tube and swims 15–30 minutes across the river. Then he changes and walks to class… like it’s just another normal day.
Why?
Because the alternative is a 12 km journey with multiple buses taking nearly 3 hours each way.
So he chose the river.
During monsoons, the current turns fierce.
Debris floats past.
Even snakes appear in the water.
But he never stops.
In over 20 years, he has never been late. Not once.
His students call him “Tube Master” — and greet him every morning knowing exactly what it takes for him to be there.
But that’s not all…
He also teaches kids how to swim, organizes river clean-ups, and turns the very river he crosses into a classroom for life lessons.
By his own estimate, he’s swum nearly 700 km over the years.
And yet, he says:
“I don’t have big dreams… I just want to reach school on time and be a good role model.”
No fame. No excuses. No missed days.
Just a man… crossing a river every day…
so his students can cross into a better future.
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