Belgaum residents Jyoti S. Kori and her son Vihan achieved a remarkable feat by completing a 12-hour non-stop swimming relay, earning recognition in both the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records. The event took place at the KLE Suvarna JNMC Swimming Pool, organized by the Swimmers Club of Belgaum in association with the Aquarius Swim Club Belgaum. Jyoti, a Para Medical Officer with the State Government, and her son Vihan, a 6th standard student at St. Xavier’s High School, are accomplished swimmers.
Jyoti S. Kori and her son Vihan received expert training from Coach Unmesh G. Khalagatagi and his team for their record-breaking swim.
In another notable achievement, 49-year-old Siddhartha Agarwal became the oldest Indian to swim across the English Channel, according to a press release by Swim Life. The Bengaluru native completed the 42 km swim between England and France on August 29, taking 15 hours and six minutes.
When Siddhartha Agarwal swam across the English Channel, he never expected to become the oldest Indian to accomplish the feat. His journey began in 2018 when he crossed the Channel as part of an eight-member relay team. That same year, Bengaluru’s Srikaanth Viswanathan set the Limca Book of Records as the oldest person to swim the Channel solo at 46, according to ANI.
Six years later, Siddhartha, known as Sid among the swimming community, surpassed Viswanathan by completing the 42 km swim in 15 hours and six minutes. The final 10 km proved to be the toughest, as he faced strong winds of 25 miles per hour and challenging tides.
“I didn’t believe I could actually do it until I finished. It took time for it to sink in. What helped was trusting my coach, believing in the process, and staying focused on my weekly and monthly goals,” Siddhartha shared in a Swim Life press release.
Siddhartha credited his demanding preparations under coach Satish Kumar, a former international swimmer, as the most challenging aspect. Reflecting on his journey, Siddhartha remarked, “I wasn’t a swimmer; as a kid, I just splashed around in the pool. Balancing my role as a real estate entrepreneur and family commitments while maintaining a disciplined training schedule was the true challenge that motivated me.”
