Meenakshi Pahuja

Meenakshi Pahuja (born 1978) is an Indian lecturer and marathon swimmer. After a successful career as a competitive swimmer, she became a teacher at Lady Shri Ram College, and later entered open water swimming. She received a 2018 Nari Shakti Puraskar award.

Early life Meenakshi Pahuja was born in 1978 She first entered swimming competitions at the age of five and became a junior age group national champion in the 50 metres breaststroke before she turned nine. In 2001, she retired from swimming Pahuja made her second attempt in 2014, again starting from the English side. After she had swum 40 km in 14 hours and 19 minutes, she was forced to return due to changing tides. She was 3 km away from completion.

Pahuja was the first Indian to swim around Key West in Florida and to complete the Lake Travis Solo in Texas. She won a bronze medal in the 2012 Labuan Sea Cross race in Malaysia She is entered in the Limca Book of Records as the first Indian swimmer to cross Lake Constance in the Alps.

In an interview, Pahuja has listed four major challenges that open-water swimmers should be prepared to face: weather conditions, sea life, endurance, and mental tenacity.

Pahuja has spoken of the need to increase public and government support for Indian athletes, especially female athletes. She was a co-producer of the short film "Break The Taboo. Period".

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many Indian swimmers faced restricted access to practice facilities. Pahuja increased her advocacy of the Indian swim community, writing news articles about athletes planning to participate in the upcoming Summer Olympics and arguing for increased access to facilities (maintaining distancing and sanitary guidelines).

Awards Pahuja received a 2018 Nari Shakti Puraskar award (India's highest civilian award for women) from President Ram Nath Kovind.