Jiya Rai, an Indian para-swimmer suffering from autism, created a new record by crossing the Bakjala Junction in just 13 hours from Sri Lanka’s Thalaimannar to Arichalmunai in Dhanushkodi on Sunday.
Jiya Rai is the daughter of an Indian naval officer in Mumbai and she holds the world record for the most special woman to swim in th open water at a speed of 14 km/hour. She was only two years old when she suffered from autism spectrum disorder and speech delay, however started to undertake training in swimming on the advice of a doctor.
The 13-year-old Rai, reached the Arichalmunai beach at 5.25 pm in Rameswaram where she was welcomed by Tamil Nadu DGP C Sylendra Babu. She has also been awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022 under the open water swimming category, the highest award for citizens below 18 years.
Last year, she also swam from Bandra-Worli Sea link to Gateway of India, a distance of 36 km in 8 hours and 40 minutes and created a history.
