Arati Saha: All you need to know about Indian swimmer as Google celebrates her 80th b'day

September 24, 2020: Google celebrated what would have been the 80th birthday of legendary long-distance swimmer, Arati Saha. In 1959, Arati Saha etched her name in history books after she became the first Asian woman to swim across the English channel. Saha completed the milestone in 16 hours and 20 minutes, completing a distance of 42 miles (67.6 km) from Cape Gris Nez, France to Sandgate, England.

The Arati Saha Google Doodle was drawn by Kolkata native, Lavanya Naidu. Naidu, who grew up idolising the Olympian swimmer, depicted Saha's arduous 16-hour-plus journey across the Channel by means of her pleasant artwork.

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Born in Kolkata in 1940, Arati Saha was a swimming prodigy from a very young age. She won her first gold medal for swimming at just 5 years old. Thereafter, she won a 22 state-level competition in West Bengal, excelling as a 100 metres freestyle, 100 metres breast stroke and 200 metres breast stroke. In 1951, she broke Dolly Nazir's all-India record in 100 metres breast stroke by completing the race in just 1 minute 37.6 seconds. The then 11-year-old Arati Saha, alongside Dolly Nazir, was part of the four-women group that travelled to Helsinki for the 1952 Olympics, which marked the first time India competed at the global sporting event as an independent nation. 

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Arati Saha: Completing the Mount Everest challenge in swimming

Arati Saha had been training as a long-distance swimmer long before she attempted to cross the Channel in 1959. She took part in the long-distance swimming competition in India, which took place in the river Ganges (Ganga). After getting inspired by Brojes Das, the first Asian to swim the English Channel, she flew to England in 1959 in order to test her mettle. Her first attempt ended up in failure and Saha came within just 5 miles of the English coast, but had to turn back for her own safety.

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Despite the setback, she made her second attempt on September 29, 1959, completing the arduous journey within 17 hours and hoisting the Indian flag on the coast of England. Arati Saha became the second Indian after Mihir Sen to swim across the daunting English Channel. The next year, in 1960, Saha was awarded Padma Shri - fourth highest Civilian award in India. She married her manager Dr Arun Gupta in 1959. Saha passed away in August 1994.

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(Image Credits: Google Doodle Twitter)