Mumbai’s Para-Swimming Star Creates History With Triple Crown Achievement

Last Updated:September 04, 2026, 6:57 PM IST

Eighteen-year-old Jiya Rai from Colaba created history in New York by completing the 48-km Manhattan swim, sealing the coveted Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Jiya Rai during her English Channel swim in 2024 (Picture credit: X @HCI_London)

Jiya Rai, an 18-year-old para-swimmer with Autism Spectrum Disorder from Navy Nagar, Colaba, became the first female para-swimmer to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming after finishing the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan in New York City on Sunday, August 30.

Jiya completed the 48-kilometre solo swim in eight hours and 53 minutes, becoming the first female para-swimmer and the first girl with ASD to achieve the feat in the event’s almost 100-year history.

Jiya dedicated the swim to raising awareness about ASD, as per an Indian Navy official.

“She began the swim from Battery Park City early in the morning and finished that afternoon. Vishal Jayeshbhai Harsh, deputy consul general of India in New York, felicitated her,” Jiya’s father Madan Rai said while speaking to The Times of India.

The official said that the Manhattan swim is considered one of the world’s toughest open-water challenges, owing to powerful tidal currents, unpredictable weather, heavy boat traffic and changing currents.

Water temperatures of around 20°C in August can also heighten the risk of hypothermia.

Rai said that under the New York Open Water Swimming Association’s rules, swimmers aren’t allowed to leave the water or touch the escort boat or anyone accompanying them.

“Jiya was supported by HT Parekh Foundation, NWWA (Western Region), Bagwadia Foundation, Indian Oil and Mazagon Dock Limited. Her other achievements include solo swims across the Palk Strait in 2022, the English Channel in 2024 and the Catalina Channel in 2025,” Madan said.

“She was the first girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder to swim solo across the English Channel. Her honours include the WOWSA Award 2024, National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2023 and Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in 2022,” Madan added.

In October, Jiya became the first female para-swimmer to swim solo across the Catalina Channel near Los Angeles, USA.

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Who is Jiya Rai and what significant achievement did she recently accomplish in para-swimming?

Jiya Rai is an 18-year-old para-swimmer from Mumbai with Autism Spectrum Disorder who became the first female para-swimmer to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. She achieved this by finishing the 48-kilometer 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan in New York City on August 30, becoming the first girl with ASD to do so in the event’s nearly 100-year history.

What are the three open water swims that constitute the Triple Crown, and when did Jiya Rai complete them?

The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming consists of solo swims across the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, and the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan. Jiya Rai completed the Palk Strait in 2022, the English Channel in 2024, the Catalina Channel in 2025, and the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan on August 30.

What challenges did Jiya Rai face during the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan?

The 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan is considered one of the world’s toughest open-water challenges due to powerful tidal currents, unpredictable weather, heavy boat traffic, and changing currents. Water temperatures of around 20°C in August also heighten the risk of hypothermia.

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