Nothing can stop you from achieving if you have a strong will and determination. This has been proved by an autistic girl from Mumbai who has created a record by swimming across Palk Strait.
Named Jiya Rai the 13-year-old girl suffers from Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Despite that, she has stunned everyone by swimming from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Arichalmunai in Dhanushkodi in 13 hours and 10 minutes. Rai achieved the feat in a bid to create awareness about autism.
For the same, Jiya had sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Delhi requesting them to permit her to swim across the 29 km stretch of the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka to Arichalmunai in Dhanushkodi. Having been permitted by both India and Sri Lanka, the girl started swimming at 4:22 AM on March 20 from Sri Lanka’s Talaimannar and arrived at the India – Sri Lanka International Border at 02:10 PM. In the end, she successfully reached Arichalmunai of Dhanushkodi at 5:32 PM, passing through 13 hours and 10 minutes.
On her accomplishment, a large gathering at the Indian shore led by Tamil Nadu Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu welcomed the girl. Sylendra Babu praised Jiya Rai as an example of how children with autism can reach heights in life. A patrol boat of Sri Lanka Navy assisted her along the International border, while the Marine Police and the Hovercraft of the Indian Coast Guard provided her security in the Indian Ocean.
Teenager Jiya Rai scripts history!!The 13-year old ace swimmer completed the 🇮🇳🇱🇰 Friendship Sea Swimming Expedition across the Palk Strait in a record time of 13 hours and 10 minutes. Indeed a commendable accomplishment!!! pic.twitter.com/zNM6GAitrA
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) March 21, 2022
She happens to be the daughter of Madan Rai, who works at the Indian Navy in Mumbai.
Rai has other records apart from this. She successfully swam across the Arabian Sea from Bandra-Worli Sea link to Gateway of India in Mumbai in February 2021. She covered a distance of 36 km in 8 hours and 40 minutes back then, and Prime Minister Modi lauded her achievement in ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
With her current record, Jiya Rai has joined the rank of swimmers including Kutraleeswaran from Tamil Nadu (1994), Jai Jaswanth from Tamil Nadu (2019), Edi Hu of the USA (2020), and Shyamala Koli from Telangana (2021) who swam from Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi.