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Kamya Bhardwaj, a B.Sc. Zoology Honours student at Dyal Singh College, Delhi University, has set a new record for the non-stop round-trip swim across the Palk Strait. The performance has marked a remarkable display of physical endurance, along with passionate perseverance and resilience despite setbacks, adversity, and boredom.
Bhardwaj has completed the gruelling journey from Dhanushkodi to Talaimannar and back to Dhanushkodi, taking 18 hours and 15 minutes. Her new record has beaten the previous record of 19 hours and 20 minutes, held by Miss Sujitha DevVarman. The Open Water Swimming Academy (OWSA), Theni, Tamil Nadu, has organised the expedition. The Palk Strait is known for its infamous and unpredictable maritime conditions. The open water marathon began at 1:30 PM on April 12 from Arichalmunai. Bhardwaj faced particularly harsh challenges like high tides, powerful opposing currents, and frequent encounters with jellyfish during the journey. Despite these obstacles, she reached Oormala, Talaimannar, in Sri Lanka at 10:35 PM. Showcasing extraordinary stamina, she turned back immediately, swimming through the night to navigate the treacherous return leg toward the Indian coast. Kamya touched the shores of Arichalmunai at 7:45 AM on April 13, where she was greeted with thunderous applause from supporters and officials. The feat was closely monitored by official observers from the Swimming Federation of India (SFI), Dr. Vijayakumar and M. Jayakumar, who confirmed the record-breaking timing. In 2025, Jiya Rai, a 17-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder, became the first female para-swimmer to successfully swim across the Catalina Channel near Los Angeles, USA. She covered a distance of 34 km in 15 hours, 1 minute, and 43 seconds, starting at midnight on September 25 from Catalina Island and finishing at the coast of California near San Pedro on September 26. (ANI)
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