Jiya 1st autistic female to swim across Catalina Channel in US

MUMBAI: Jiya Rai , 17, daughter of Indian Navy sailor Madan Rai from Navy Nagar in Colaba, became the first female para swimmer with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to successfully swim across the Catalina Channel in the US solo. She completed the 34-km swim in 15 hours, one minute and 43 seconds.

The officials said in the 100-year history of Catalina Channel swimming, Jiya is the first girl with ASD to achieve this feat. She began her solo swim at midnight on Sep 25 from Catalina Island and finished at San Pedro, California, in the afternoon of Sep 26.

Jiya dedicated her swim to autism awareness . Her father, Madan Rai, told TOI: “She began swimming as therapy and went on to complete an epic 1,100km relay swim from Mumbai to Goa and back in 2022. Her journey earned her the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (2022) — India’s highest honour for young achievers.”

Rai noted in the past 100 years, only about 500 persons have swum in the Catalina Channel. “The channel water is known for its treacherous currents, the water temperature in Sept is 18 degree Celsius and can cause hypothermia. There is a good chance of encountering jellyfish and dangerous sea animals. Swimming during dark hours is the most challenging part.”