SportsPosted at: Oct 6 2026 9:49AM


16-yr-old Nashik swimmer Divya Mahajan crosses English Channel in 14h 35m

Nashik, Oct 6 (UNI) 16-year-old Divya Mahajan, a native of Nashik, has once again made India proud on the global open-water swimming stage by successfully crossing the challenging English Channel from England to France in 14 hours and 35 minutes.
Divya accomplished the feat on October 3, as part of her ambitious ‘Mission Sapt Sagar’, which aims to conquer seven of the world’s most challenging sea channels.
The achievement comes just over a month after Divya created a world record by becoming the youngest female swimmer in the world to cross the North Channel, between Northern Ireland and Scotland, on August 23.
Divya began her English Channel swim at 2:50 am in complete darkness. During the crossing, she battled strong waves, powerful winds and adverse sea currents.
Although the standard crossing distance is around 33.7 km, strong currents pushed her off course, forcing her to swim nearly 50 km.
Despite the difficult conditions, Divya remained determined and reached the French coast at 5:25 pm French time, where she proudly raised the Indian Tricolour.
Captain Stuart, pilot of the Sea Leopard, and co-pilot Shaun supported and guided her during the crossing. Jon Mill served as the official observer on behalf of the Channel Swimming Association.
Divya is currently living in the UK with her family to receive world-class training in open-water swimming. She recently achieved excellent results in her GCSE examinations, securing Grades 8 and 9, and is currently pursuing her A-Levels at Cardinal Newman College in Preston.
She has successfully balanced her demanding academic schedule with rigorous swimming training to achieve the feat.
The entire campaign is being conducted under the Mahajan Bandhu Foundation, with the primary objective of empowering girls through sports and education. The campaign is also raising funds for BBC Children in Need.
Speaking about her achievement, Divya said, “I feel immense pride every time I complete a channel and raise the Indian Tricolour at the finish line. If I can do it, every girl in India can achieve the impossible.”
She urged parents across the world to believe in their daughters and stand firmly behind their dreams.
Divya said she dreams of raising India’s stature internationally in endurance channel swimming and encouraged girls to dream big and pursue their goals with determination.
She expressed gratitude to her coach Shrikant Vishwanathan, mentor Tanvi Deore, mother Anjana Mahajan, father Dr Hитendra Mahajan, brother Om, uncle Dr Mahendra Mahajan, teachers and friends at Cardinal Newman College, and all her supporters.
With the successful English Channel crossing, Divya has now completed three of the seven channels under Mission Sapt Sagar, with four more crossings remaining.
UNI BHG ATP ARN
Tags: #16-yr-old Nashik swimmer Divya Mahajan crosses English Channel in 14h 35m
More News

Golden homecoming: Families hail India’s Asian Games Hockey triumph as champions return to Amritsar

05 Oct 2026 | 11:40 PM

Neeraj Bali.

see more..

Verstappen wins F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia, Antonelli extends title lead

05 Oct 2026 | 11:13 PM

Sepang (Malaysia), Oct 5 (UNI) Max Verstappen claimed his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season in a rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli took a major step toward his maiden world title after
Mercedes teammate George Russell retired late in the race.

see more..

China Open: Djokovic rallies past Zverev for record 32nd win

05 Oct 2026 | 11:08 PM

Beijing, Oct 5 (UNI) Novak Djokovic extended his remarkable unbeaten run at the China Open to
32 matches here, rallying past top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to claim a record once held by Rafael Nadal.

see more..

Spain eyes UEFA Nations League quarterfinal berth against Croatia

05 Oct 2026 | 11:03 PM

Madrid, Oct 5 (UNI) Spain could secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals on Tuesday with a win over Croatia in Split. .

see more..

Eboni breaks record as Windies seal series against Zimbabwe

05 Oct 2026 | 10:49 PM

Harare, Oct 5 (UNI) Eboni Brathwaite etched her name into the record books as she smashed the fastest fifty by a West Indian in women's T20I cricket to power her team to an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe here.

see more..