Nataraj trains rigorously, spending up to five hours a day in the pool. He is part of Dolphin Aquatics and represents Karnataka. His coach, Nihar Ameen, has been instrumental in his progress. In 2020, he received the Ekalavya Award from the Karnataka state government.

In 2017, he was named Best Male Swimmer at the Senior National Championships in Bhopal. His dedication to swimming is evident in his training regime and his constant drive to improve.

Challenges and Changes

In September 2020, Nataraj faced a shoulder strain during a training camp in Dubai. Despite this setback, he continued to push forward. After narrowly missing the Olympic A mark by less than a second in 2020, he made a crucial technique change on his coach's advice.

Instead of using a flutter kick at the start, he switched to a dolphin kick, which helped him gain better speed. This adjustment proved beneficial and helped him reach his goals.

Personal Life and Interests

Nataraj holds a degree in Economics from Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College in Bengaluru. Apart from swimming, he enjoys playing the guitar. His sporting idols include Indian swimmer Rohit Havaldar and US swimmer Michael Phelps.

He has some unique rituals before races. He wears a black cap for 200m backstroke races and a white cap for 100m and 50m backstroke events. His brother also competes in swimming at the national level in India.

Philosophy and Future Plans

Nataraj's sporting philosophy is clear: "The first thing I tell myself is if anyone's going to get anything done, it's me." He approaches training with the mindset that he will not be out-swum.

Looking ahead, Nataraj aims to win a medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. With his dedication and continuous improvement, he remains a strong contender for future accolades.