Sayani Das

Sayani Das (born 27 April 1998) is an Indian open-water swimmer from Kalna, West Bengal. She is known for completing six of the seven channel crossings that constitute the Oceans Seven challenge. She became the first Indian woman to complete the North Channel and subsequently completed the Strait of Gibraltar in 2025, bringing her total to six Oceans Seven crossings.

Das began swimming at an early age and developed from competitive swimming into long-distance open-water swimming. She is from Baruipara in Kalna, Purba Bardhaman district, and was introduced to swimming by her father, Radheshyam Das. She later focused on long-distance swimming and trained in open-water environments in preparation for international channel crossings.

Early life and swimming career

Das is from Baruipara in Kalna, in the Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal. She was introduced to swimming by her father, Radheshyam Das, and began learning to swim at a young age. According to an interview published by the Centre for Stories, she started swimming at the age of six after her father took her to a local swimming pool and subsequently practised in the Ganges.

Das initially competed in pool swimming and represented West Bengal at state-level competitions, winning six gold medals at the State Championships. She also participated in the National Championships before moving towards long-distance open-water swimming.

She subsequently developed an interest in long-distance swimming and trained in the Ganges and other open-water environments. Contemporary reports describe her undertaking extensive endurance training, including long-duration swimming sessions, as preparation for international channel crossings.

Her early training was also affected by limited swimming infrastructure in her home region. In an interview with Anandabazar Patrika, Das said that she trained in the Ganges because of difficulties accessing a local swimming pool and had also practised in nearby rivers and ponds.

Oceans Seven

The Oceans Seven is a challenge consisting of seven major open-water channel crossings: the North Channel, Cook Strait, Molokai Channel, English Channel, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Strait and Strait of Gibraltar.

Das began her Oceans Seven campaign in 2017 with a crossing of the English Channel.

+ Oceans Seven crossings Channel Date Distance Time Notes English Channel 26–27 July 2017 33.5 km 14 h 8 min Crossed from England to France at age 19 Catalina Channel 8 June 2019 32.3 km 12 h 46 min Crossed from Santa Catalina Island to Southern California Molokai Channel 29 April 2022 45 km 18 h 50 min First Indian woman to complete the crossing Cook Strait 2 April 2024 23 km 11 h 47 min 55 s Crossed between New Zealand's North and South Islands North Channel 30 August 2024 35 km 13 h 22 min 38 s First Indian woman to complete the crossing Strait of Gibraltar 18 April 2025 14.4 km 3 h 51 min Crossed from Spain to Morocco Tsugaru Strait July 2026 — — Attempt unsuccessful

The distances and crossing times are reported by Openwaterpedia and contemporary media reports.

English Channel

On 26–27 July 2017, Das crossed the English Channel from England to France in 14 hours 8 minutes. She completed the 33.5-kilometre crossing at the age of 19.

Cook Strait

On 2 April 2024, Das crossed Cook Strait in New Zealand between the North and South Islands. She completed the approximately 23-kilometre crossing in 11 hours 47 minutes 55 seconds.

Strait of Gibraltar

On 18 April 2025, Das crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco, completing the sixth of the seven Oceans Seven channels. She completed the approximately 14.4-kilometre crossing in 3 hours 51 minutes in a tandem swim with American swimmer Ryan Utsumi.

During the July 2026 attempt, conditions deteriorated, with reports of waves exceeding two metres. Das swam approximately 15 kilometres before experiencing severe chest pain and being taken aboard the support boat. The swim was subsequently stopped, and she did not complete the Tsugaru Strait crossing.

As a result, Das remains a six-channel finisher in the Oceans Seven challenge.

Awards and honours

Das has received several awards and honours for her achievements in swimming and open-water adventure.

2018 – Khelashree Award, Government of West Bengal, for achievements in swimming. 2025 – Mother Teresa International Award for her achievements in swimming. 2023 – Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, Water Adventure category, Government of India. 2025 – The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for 2023 was presented to Das by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 17 January 2025.

Personal life and training

Das has been coached and supported by her father, Radhashyam Das, who has been involved in her training and international swimming campaigns. She has also received technical guidance from swimming coach Tapan Kumar Panigrahi.

Her preparation for cold-water swims has included prolonged open-water training and cold-water acclimatisation. Reports have described her training in the Ganges and other open-water environments as part of her preparation for international channel swimming.