Good Sports: Jiya Rai Wins Open Water Swimming Award
In 1959, India’s Arati Saha became the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel, a distance of 21 miles. Last July 16-year-old Jiya Rai added her name to the record books, becoming the youngest female para swimmer and first girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder to successfully cross the channel. Jiya, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2, completed the feat in 17 hours and 25 minutes.
In recognition of her achievement, the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) recently selected Jiya as the winner of its Adaptive Performance of the Year Award for 2024, another first for India. Her father, Madan Rai, an Indian naval sailor, is proud of his daughter for overcoming many challenges, including mockery from others. “She can do what most ablebodied teens aren’t able to do,” he told The Week.
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Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
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