Tamil Nadu: To spread awareness that sight is not a barrier, a blind girl crossed the Palk Strait from Thalaimannar, Sri Lanka, to Arichalmunai, Dhanushkodi, in 11:15 hours.
Ishwari (17), daughter of Kamlesh Vitthalrao Pandey and Aruna from Nagpur, Maharashtra, is a blind student studying in 11th grade. She won a gold medal in the national level Paralympic swimming competition.
To spread awareness that sight is not a barrier to swimming, she swam across the Palk Strait, a distance of approximately 30 km, from Thalaimannar, Sri Lanka, to Dhanushkodi, arriving at Arichalmunai Beach at 11:15 am on Monday.
With this, the blind man set a record for the longest distance and longest time swimming alone in the ocean.
The Indian Coast Guard gave her a warm welcome at Arichalmunai Beach.
Previously, on March 20, 2022, Jiyarai, a 13-year-old girl from Mumbai, swam across the Palk Strait between Thalaimannar and Dhanushkodi. Similarly, Chennai
It is noteworthy that Guvi Atral, a disabled girl from the western region, who suffered a below-knee injury, swam across the Palk Strait on October 5, 2025.
