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Champion swimmer recounts crossing the English Channel
Jain Heritage, a Cambridge School, held an event ‘Synergia’, an annual sports and cultural event. The chief guest was Masudur Rahman Baidya, a swimmer from Kolkata. He was the first physically challenged person to cross the English Channel way back in 1997.
Jain Heritage, a Cambridge School, held an event ‘Synergia’, an annual sports and cultural event. The chief guest was Masudur Rahman Baidya, a swimmer from Kolkata. He was the first physically challenged person to cross the English Channel way back in 1997.
Narrating his feat, Rahman said that it was a big challenge to cross the river as the currents and waves were strong. There were many challenges which he had to face like salty water, jelly fishes, cold weather etc. “A lot of endurance is required in order to achieve this herculean task. I used to practice a lot even after my disability, and am proud of the fact that I am the first person in the world to achieve this feat,” recounted Rahman.
He lost his leg in a train accident when he was ten years old. Prior to that he used to play football and used to swim with his friends. Now he walks with prosthetic limbs.
The accident did not hinder his passion towards the sport and he wanted to prove to the world that physical disability cannot stop anyone to achieve his goal. He says that practicing only can help a human better, and he used to swim for almost 12 to 14 hours a day to achieve this feat. His goal was very clear from the beginning that he want to achieve something in this life and kept on practicing this sport even after losing both his legs.
Rahman crossed the river in 16 hours, 23 minutes. The current changes every six hours as it passes from the Atlantic to the North Sea and vice-versa. In order to cross the channel, he had to swim 36 kilometre but with the changing of currents, he had to swim for 42 kilometre. He used to train at Puri, Odisha and is really thankful to the people who helped him a lot. His family members offered of lot of support during these difficult times.
Currently he is the State Swimming Coach in Kolkata. He was also awarded a score award by former vice president of India Krishna Kant. Rahman noted that every person should have a desire to win and should always believe in oneself.
