Jiya Rai Wins Open Water Swim Award In San Francisco

Photo: Indian Navy

India-West News Desk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA –  Jiya Rai, the daughter of an Indian naval sailor, has made history as the first Indian to receive the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Award in the Adaptive Performance of the Year category. Established in 2008, the awards recognize outstanding achievements in open-water swimming.

The 2024 winners were selected from 177 nominees, with final decisions made by an 83-member advisory board and over 6,000 public votes.

On July 28, 2024, Rai swam solo across the English Channel, covering 34 kilometers in 17 hours and 25 minutes. She is the youngest female para-swimmer and the first girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder to complete the feat.

Previously, she was honored with India’s National Award for Disability in 2023 and the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in 2022, the country’s highest civilian award for individuals under 18.