Sayani Das Swims Her Way into the History Books
Sayani Das from Kalna, West Bengal, conquers the Strait of Gibraltar in her quest to complete the Oceans Seven challenge. With six ocean channels behind her, the determined long-distance swimmer now eyes Japan’s Tsugaru Strait.
By Jove, Sayani Das has Done It Again!
Well, hold onto your swim caps and fetch the smelling salts—Kalna’s own water sprite, Sayani Das, has only gone and conquered the Strait of Gibraltar. That’s six down in her bid to complete the rather legendary Oceans Seven challenge. Just one more watery beast remains—the Tsugaru Strait in Japan. And at this rate, she’ll probably charm the fish into cheering her on.
The 27-year-old powerhouse from East Burdwan began her epic aquatic quest in 2017 by crossing the English Channel—a rite of passage for anyone mad enough to take on the open sea. Since then, she’s ticked off the Cook Strait, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, and the frankly freezing North Channel. This latest feat in the Mediterranean was her sixth conquest, and she did it in style—clocking a sub-four-hour time across the Gibraltar Strait. Not too shabby, eh?
Sayani took the plunge from Tarifa Island, Spain, at 1.58 pm on April 18, accompanied by three boats. One was the pilot boat, another held the official observer (to make sure no monkey business was going on), and the third carried her ever-doting father Radhashyam Das and coach Tapan Panigrahi, armed with thermoses and an eagle eye.
“I fed her liquid food she could sip while swimming, without touching the boat, of course. Touch the boat, and it’s game over,” said Mr Das, still looking rather proud and possibly a bit seasick.
She reached Cires Point in Morocco in a cool 3 hours and 51 minutes, flippers barely damp.
Now, don’t be fooled into thinking this one was a cakewalk just because it was over quickly. “Every sea has its own mood swings,” Sayani quipped from Spain. “You can’t compare them—each one comes with a fresh set of tricks up its salty sleeve.”
And tricks, indeed. The North Channel, which made her the first Indian woman to conquer its icy depths, was cold enough to turn your moustache into an icicle. She had to gain weight for that one to fight off hypothermia. For Gibraltar, she lost 6kg—because apparently, swimming’s not complicated enough without throwing in a bit of body recomposition.
Veteran swimmer Bula Chowdhury, herself no stranger to legendary swims, tipped her swim cap to Sayani, recalling the devilish currents in the Strait of Gibraltar. “Many call it a day in the first couple of hours,” she warned. Sayani saw that prophecy fulfilled when one of the two American swimmers beside her gave up within sixty minutes. Sayani? Oh, she just kept paddling, unbothered, like a Bengali mermaid on a mission.
“When I dive in, I know it’s my one shot,” Sayani said. “You don’t stop mid-swim to weigh your options. You just go.” Well, that’s one way to deal with life’s problems—preferably without jellyfish.
Back home in Calcutta on April 22, she’ll now rest her well-earned blisters and tackle the next beast: the Tsugaru Strait. Of course, that little challenge also comes with a monstrous price tag—around ₹13 lakh per expedition. “We put everything on the line every time,” said her father, with a grim smile that’s seen one too many bank forms.
Government support? Ha! What government support? Open-water swimming in India might as well be sponsored by piggy banks and parental love.
Sayani’s story begins in a humble 25-metre pool in Kalna, with a girl just 7 years old. From there to the Ganga’s wide embrace and now to the open arms of international waters, she’s gone from local splash to global wave.
And what drives her? “In the open sea, you’re your only motivator,” she said. “You can’t eat much. You might throw up. But you have to keep going. Because if you stop, the sea doesn’t.”
So, here’s to Sayani Das—Bengal’s siren of the seas, who swims where most fear to paddle, and proves with each stroke that true grit doesn’t always come in a tracksuit—it sometimes arrives wrapped in seaweed and determination.
Watch this space. Japan’s got a surprise coming.
News and Picture Sources : The Telegraph
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