Siddharth Sets Record: Oldest Indian to Swim English Channel

The Record-Breaking Achievement

• Siddhartha Agarwal, 49, from Bengaluru, became the oldest Indian to swim across the English Channel solo
• Completed the swim on August 29, 2024
• Swam 42 kilometers in 15 hours and 6 minutes
• Surpassed previous record set by Srikaanth Viswanathan (46 years old) in 2018
• Initially crossed the Channel in 2018 as part of an eight-member relay team

The Challenging Journey

• Last 10 kilometers posed the greatest challenge
• Faced rigid conditions and high tides
• Battled wind speeds of approximately 25 miles per hour
• Agarwal initially doubted his ability to complete the solo swim
• Quoted: "Until I actually completed the swim, I never believed that I could actually do this"

Rigorous Training and Preparation

• Trained under coach Satish Kumar, a former international swimmer
• Underwent 15 months of intense preparation for the 15-hour swim
• Training started with 3km swims at a pace of 2min 15secs per 100m
• Gradually increased distance and reduced pace as the swim date approached
• Balanced training with his role as a real estate entrepreneur and family commitments
• Agarwal was not a natural swimmer, describing himself as someone who would "splash around in the pool" as a kid

Impact and Inspiration

• Achievement expected to inspire amateur swimmers of all ages
• Highlights the growing popularity of open water swimming in India
• Demonstrates the potential for achieving seemingly impossible goals through perseverance and discipline
• Coach Satish Kumar believes this feat will encourage others to take up open water swimming
• Showcases the potential of professional setups like Swim Life in opening doors for amateur swimmers