16-year-old Jiya Rai of Mumbai became the youngest and the fastest para swimmer in the world to cross the English Channel.
She started her 34-kilometer swim from Abbot's Cliff in England on 28 July 2024 and reached her final destination, Pointe de la Courte-Dune, in France on 29 July.
She covered the entire distance in a new world record time of 17 hours and 25 minutes for a para swimmer.
Jiya Rai, who suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder, is the daughter of an Indian Navy personnel.
Jiya Rai also holds the world record for being the youngest and the fastest swimmer to cross the Palk Strait, which separates India from Sri Lanka.
She covered the 29 kilometers distance from Talaimannar, Sri Lanka, to Dhanuskodi, India, in 13 hours and 10 minutes.