<p>Mumbai: Mumbai’s Jiya Rai, the youngest female para swimmer in the world to cross the English Channel, has won the coveted World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Award -2024 as Adaptive Performance. </p><p>Jiya, a 17-year-old girl with Autism Spectrum disorder, is the daughter of Madan Rai, MC-at-Arms, serving at Mumbai.</p><p>The WOWSA Award is the highest adventure award in the world for Open Water Swimming and started in 2008. </p><p>This award was <a href="https://www.openwaterswimming.com/press-release-world-open-water-swimming-association-celebrates-the-2024-wowsa-awards-winners/">announced</a> on 17 February 25 at San Francisco, California. </p><p>Jiya is the first Indian Open Water Swimmer to receive this prestigious award. </p><p>The WOWSA Awards recognize the best open water swimmers, events, and organizations every year. The awards celebrate the dedication, perseverance, and achievements of these individuals and organizations.</p><p>On 28 Jul 24, Jiya Rai successfully swam across the famous English Channel, a distance of 34 kms, in 17 hrs 25 min and became the youngest female para swimmer in the world to cross the English Channel in Solo Swimming. In 150 years of Channel swimming history, Jiya is also the first Autism spectrum disorder Girl in the world to cross the English Channel in solo swimming. </p><p>Jiya is recipient of National Award of Disability 2023 and Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2022, a highest award of citizens below 18 years of Age.</p><p>Despite having a disability, she is an international open water para swimmer of India and world record holder in open water swimming. </p><p>She is on a mission to become the world first and youngest para swimmer to swim seven oceans. </p><p>Between 17-29 December 2022, she swam 1,100 km as a six-members relay team from Mumbai to Goa and back to Vasai Fort in 11 days 22 hours and 13 minutes. She was the youngest and only female participant of this team. </p><p>Jiya has brought laurels to India by swimming across Palk Strait in World Record Time from Talaimannar (Srilanka) to Dhanuskodi (India) a distance of 29 km in 13 hours and 10 minutes on 20 March 2022. </p><p>She achieved this feat at the age of 13 years and 10 Months and became World Youngest and Fastest Female Swimmer to swim across the Palk Strait. </p><p>Jiya has earlier held the three world Record in Open Water Swimming in 14 km, 22 km and 36 km in para Category and her swimming record was appreciated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Mann Ki Batt.</p><p>Her swimming achievements have been registered in Asia Books of Records and India Books of Records. </p><p>In the last three years, Jiya has won 32 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal in the National and State Open Water Sea Swimming Championship.</p>
<p>Mumbai: Mumbai’s Jiya Rai, the youngest female para swimmer in the world to cross the English Channel, has won the coveted World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Award -2024 as Adaptive Performance. </p><p>Jiya, a 17-year-old girl with Autism Spectrum disorder, is the daughter of Madan Rai, MC-at-Arms, serving at Mumbai.</p><p>The WOWSA Award is the highest adventure award in the world for Open Water Swimming and started in 2008. </p><p>This award was <a href="https://www.openwaterswimming.com/press-release-world-open-water-swimming-association-celebrates-the-2024-wowsa-awards-winners/">announced</a> on 17 February 25 at San Francisco, California. </p><p>Jiya is the first Indian Open Water Swimmer to receive this prestigious award. </p><p>The WOWSA Awards recognize the best open water swimmers, events, and organizations every year. The awards celebrate the dedication, perseverance, and achievements of these individuals and organizations.</p><p>On 28 Jul 24, Jiya Rai successfully swam across the famous English Channel, a distance of 34 kms, in 17 hrs 25 min and became the youngest female para swimmer in the world to cross the English Channel in Solo Swimming. In 150 years of Channel swimming history, Jiya is also the first Autism spectrum disorder Girl in the world to cross the English Channel in solo swimming. </p><p>Jiya is recipient of National Award of Disability 2023 and Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2022, a highest award of citizens below 18 years of Age.</p><p>Despite having a disability, she is an international open water para swimmer of India and world record holder in open water swimming. </p><p>She is on a mission to become the world first and youngest para swimmer to swim seven oceans. </p><p>Between 17-29 December 2022, she swam 1,100 km as a six-members relay team from Mumbai to Goa and back to Vasai Fort in 11 days 22 hours and 13 minutes. She was the youngest and only female participant of this team. </p><p>Jiya has brought laurels to India by swimming across Palk Strait in World Record Time from Talaimannar (Srilanka) to Dhanuskodi (India) a distance of 29 km in 13 hours and 10 minutes on 20 March 2022. </p><p>She achieved this feat at the age of 13 years and 10 Months and became World Youngest and Fastest Female Swimmer to swim across the Palk Strait. </p><p>Jiya has earlier held the three world Record in Open Water Swimming in 14 km, 22 km and 36 km in para Category and her swimming record was appreciated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Mann Ki Batt.</p><p>Her swimming achievements have been registered in Asia Books of Records and India Books of Records. </p><p>In the last three years, Jiya has won 32 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal in the National and State Open Water Sea Swimming Championship.</p>