Afrin Jabi scripts history, crosses English Channel in 13 hours

With grit carved on the currents of the Ganges and dreams nurtured in the modest swimming pools of rural Bengal, Afrin Jabi, a 22-year-old swimmer from Midnapore, etched her name into the annals of sporting glory on Monday by conquering the fabled English Channel.

- BISWABRATA GOSWAMI

In a feat that blends courage, endurance, and quiet determination, Afrin completed the treacherous 34-kilometer swim from Dover to Cap Gris-Nez in 13 hours and 13 minutes, becoming one of the few Indians—and one of even fewer Indian women—to achieve this formidable milestone.

The swim, undertaken on 29 July, traverses one of the most unpredictable and demanding stretches of open water in the world. Battling powerful tidal currents, icy temperatures, and the sheer fatigue of open-sea distance swimming, Afrin's solitary journey across the Channel symbolized far more than athletic accomplishment—it was a triumph of will over circumstance.

A sociology graduate from Midnapore Autonomous College, Afrin comes from a humble middle-class Muslim family in Midnapore town. Her story is one of patient perseverance. Introduced to the pool at the age of six, she trained for years under the quiet discipline of the Midnapore Swimming Club, never missing an opportunity to test her mettle in local and national waters.