Jiya Rai, a 16-year-old para swimmer from India, has become the world's youngest and fastest female para swimmer to solo swim across the English Channel, completing the 34 km stretch in 17 hours and 25 minutes.
Rai, who has a world record in open water swimming and previously swam across Palk Bay, dedicated her English Channel achievement to raising awareness about autism and has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMB) 2022.
