Bengaluru’s Siddhartha Agarwal, at 49, has set a remarkable record by becoming the oldest Indian to swim across the English Channel. He completed the 42-kilometer swim on August 29 in 15 hours and six minutes.
Siddhartha’s journey began in 2018 when he swam the Channel as part of an eight-member relay team. His achievement surpasses the previous record set by Bengaluru’s Srikaanth Viswanathan, who swam the Channel solo at age 46.
Reflecting on his achievement, Siddhartha shared, “In 2017, during a casual swim, Satish Kumar from Swim Life challenged me to try open-water swimming. I never imagined it would lead to a solo swim across the Channel.” He noted the last 10 kilometers were the most challenging due to tough conditions and high tides.
Siddhartha’s rigorous preparation involved progressively longer swims and strict adherence to his coach’s rules. “My coach, Satish, was a strict taskmaster. If I didn’t meet the day’s target, the session was invalid, and we started fresh the next day,” he said.
This milestone highlights Siddhartha’s dedication and perseverance, achieving what many consider a pinnacle of open-water swimming
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