Bhakti Sharma
Bhakti Sharma | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 30, 1989 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Swimmer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Awards | Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, 2010 |
| Website | bhaktisharma.in |
Bhakti Sharma (born November 30, 1989) is an Indian open-water swimmer.
Sharma is the first Asian woman and the youngest in the world to set a record in open swimming in Antarctic waters. Sharma swam 1.4 miles (2.3 km) in 41.14 minutes, at a temperature of 1 °C (34 °F), breaking the record of Lynne Cox (USA) and Lewis Pugh (Great Britain).[1] Bhakti Sharma has swum in all the five oceans of the world, besides swimming in or across eight other seas and channels. She was awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2010.[2]
Early life
Sharma was born in Mumbai and brought up in Udaipur, Rajasthan. She holds a Master's degree from Symbiosis International University in Communications Management.
Swimming career
Sharma started swimming when she was just 2.5 years old. After having participated in many State and District Level competitions, her first open water (Sea) swim was a 16 km swim from Uran port to Gateway of India in 2003. Sharma was 14 years old that time.[3]
Sharma is only the third person in the world to have swum across the Arctic Ocean, and recently swam in the Antarctic Ocean to become the youngest to swim in all five oceans, a feat which earned her recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[4][5]
Sharma's swimming career in just a little over 10 years is commendable and some major milestones include :
- 2006: Crossed the English Channel in 13 hours 55 minutes on 6 July at the age of 16 from Shakespeare Beach, Dover England to Calais, France [5]
- 2006: Winning the Lake Zurich Swim [6][5]
Recent record
On January 10, 2015, Sharma became the youngest in the world and first Asian girl to swim in freezing water of Antartica for 2.25 km,[7] beating the record of British open water swimming champion Lewis Pugh and American swimmer Lynne Cox. Sharma swam for 52 minutes, covering 2.25 km distance in the freezing waters of Antartica while the temperature was one degree.[7] She performed the record-breaking swim with the sponsorship of Hindustan Zinc Limited.[8]
References
- ^ Press Trust of India (14 January 2015). "Open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma sets world record in Antarctic Ocean". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Bhakti Sharma conquers Antarctic Ocean". Times of India. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Interview in Udaipur Times". Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Prime Minister Narendra Modi Congratulates Record-Breaking Swimmer Bhakti Sharma". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Hindu Article". Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ^ "Lake Zurich Swim Results 2006" (PDF). Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ a b "World Record in Antarctica Ocean". Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Indian swimmer Bhakti Sharma sets world record in Antarctic Ocean". Retrieved 5 February 2015.