Jia Rai: Youngest & fastest para-swimmer to cross the English channel

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.

World Record for crossing Palk Strait 

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.

English Channel and Indian Swimmer 

• The English Channel is a narrow part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the southern coast of England from the northern coast of France.
• The first Indian to swim across the English Channel was Mihir Sen in 1958.
• The first Indian woman to cross the English Channel was  Aarti Saha on 29 September 1959.
• Anita Sood holds the record for the fastest swim with a time of 8.15 minutes on 17 August 1987.
• Captain Matthew Webb of England was the first person to swim across the English Channel successfully in 1875.
• Australian swimmer Chloe McCardel holds the record for swimming across the English Channel for a record 44 times.