Mumbai-based 59-year-old Seema Vora recently successfully crossed the English Channel from England to France. Now, she has her sights set on swimming the Seven Oceans.
Ajay Motiwala
Mumbai: With rough waves frequently surging through the Atlantic Ocean between England and France, jellyfish and other marine creatures ruling the waters, weather conditions changing at any moment and sudden strong winds creating additional challenges, 59-year-old swimmer Seema Jitubhai Vora has overcome every obstacle with remarkable courage. After achieving several milestones in the seas between India and Sri Lanka, she took up one of the toughest challenges and successfully crossed the English Channel between England and France, adding another remarkable feather to her cap. Her achievement shows the immense determination and divine strength that have continued to support her throughout her journey.
Among the seven Indians who recently completed the English Channel challenge, Seemaben, who lives in Malad (West) and belongs to the Kapol community, was the only Gujarati. Seemaben told ‘Mumbai Samachar’, “I am delighted to say that, by God’s grace and with nature’s blessings, I recently completed the English Channel between England and France in 14 hours and 42 minutes.”
Headstand Before the Adventure
Seemaben has achieved feats that can put even youngsters to shame. Her three favourite words are determination, dedication and willpower. She believes that once you make a commitment and dedicate yourself completely to achieving an adventurous goal, you can accomplish even the most difficult tasks through inner strength by ignoring negative advice and comments.
After swimming nearly 70 kilometres in the English Channel, she added another major achievement to her two-decade-long swimming career. Speaking to ‘Mumbai Samachar’, she said, “Before jumping into the sea for the English Channel challenge, I performed a headstand in the seawater for Lord Shiva at the starting point of the adventure. On the scheduled date, I entered the sea at Samphire Hoe in the UK at 11:48 pm and continued swimming for 14 hours and 42 minutes before completing my journey at the coast of Wissant in France. There were seven Indians in total, including two women. Our team also had a 12-year-old girl from Bengaluru who had come to swim the English Channel with her father.”
Seema Vora’s Experience
Seemaben told ‘Mumbai Samachar’, “Swimming across and completing the English Channel is extremely challenging and involves tremendous struggle. The weather keeps changing in the Atlantic Ocean, and the stretch of sea where we had to swim, from southern England to northern France, is extremely busy. In other words, ships are constantly moving back and forth, there are many fishing boats, marine life is very active, and the water is extremely cold. The waves can be incredibly rough. You can also suffer from seasickness. Strong winds keep blowing, and in such conditions you may not even realise that you have drifted far away from your route. To make matters worse, jellyfish can sting you.
“If you drift too far away in such difficult conditions, you have to swim back for nearly an hour to return to the main route. By God’s grace, I did not have to face such an extreme situation. Normally, the distance across this channel is around 37 kilometres, but I and my fellow swimmers had to cover nearly 70 kilometres because of the various factors mentioned above as well as the undercurrents. The distance almost doubled, so the time also increased considerably.
“Generally, everyone faces such obstacles and difficulties. Nobody can swim the straight route. Three months ago, I swam continuously for nine hours in the sea off Sri Lanka, but compared to that, the English Channel had stronger undercurrents and much colder water. However, my coach Satish Sir constantly advised me never to give up, and that helped me successfully complete the mission.”
‘Even If a Jellyfish Stings, You Have to Endure It’
Talking about her experience of encountering jellyfish while swimming, Seemaben said, “We entered the sea knowing that we would have to face marine life. We had to be mentally prepared for encountering jellyfish. The coach and other support staff on the nearby boat kept encouraging us, but we had to deal with the adverse conditions in the water ourselves.
“Even after being stung by a jellyfish, I had to endure the pain for some time. I received tremendous motivation throughout the challenge from my two coaches, Satish Sir and Yakub Sir. That is why I was able to successfully complete this adventure.
“When we reached the designated coast in France, the mayor of the local area of Wissant town came to receive us. It was a proud moment for all of us.”
Booking Takes Place Two-and-a-Half to Three Years in Advance
Just as people from India and abroad travel to Nepal every year to climb Mount Everest, numerous swimmers from across the world come every year to swim the English Channel from southern England to northern France. Therefore, advance booking is required. Generally, a slot has to be booked two-and-a-half to three years in advance.
The slot is decided according to the sea conditions. Waves are stronger during a spring tide, while they are less powerful during a neap tide. We had booked a spring-tide slot. However, the final timing depended on the weather and wind conditions.
Our coaches had complete knowledge of the sea conditions and, during the training days before the channel crossing, they instructed us on when and for how many hours we should swim. I reached the UK a month in advance in coordination with the Bengaluru-based organising organisation Swim Life. Around 17 other adventurers were also with me.
“We stayed together in a large eight-bedroom house with a kitchen in the UK. We motivated one another and trained together for our challenge.”
Seemaben further said, “Since I did not fall ill, my determination became even stronger. Usually, adverse conditions and an improper diet can make a person sick, forcing an adventure to be cancelled. Fortunately, I paid enough attention to muscle strength, maintained my fitness and energy levels, and strictly followed the diet recommended by my dietitian and trainers. That is why I did not fall ill.”
Complete Support from Husband and Son
Seemaben is an interior designer by profession. She started learning swimming after the age of 35 and has been participating in major competitions for the past 20 years.
She said, “My husband, Jitu Vora, is a sports lover and a very good swimmer. The encouragement I have received from him over the years, along with the support of my son Raj, has enabled me to participate in major competitions, and this time I achieved the remarkable feat of crossing the English Channel.
“I had been training for this adventure for one-and-a-half years. Generally, we receive complete safety support during competitions. A boat moves alongside us, carrying swimmers, safety equipment, medical emergency equipment, food and water, as well as people who guide us in the right direction.
“According to the rules, we cannot take support from any boat while swimming. If we need to eat or drink water, we have to do so while remaining in the water, either standing or floating. If we feel tired, we can stop for just 15 to 20 seconds in the water to recover before resuming swimming.
“Every year, I keep doing something different. In 2024, I completed a 14-kilometre open-sea swim from the Gateway of India to Elephanta, followed by an 18-kilometre swim from the Gateway to Atal Setu.
“In January this year, I completed a 20-kilometre swim from North Goa to South Goa. In May, I completed a seven-hour, 27-kilometre sea-swimming challenge between Sri Lanka and India without stopping. Apart from these, I have also participated in numerous swimming events and competitions.”
Now, She Dreams of the Seven Oceans
Seemaben’s achievements are an inspiration to the younger generation. She proudly says, “I will turn 60 in September, so I have already given myself an English Channel birthday gift in advance.”
There seems to be no limit to Seemaben’s determination and achievements. Her ambition knows no bounds. Just as many people dream of climbing Mount Everest, Seemaben’s greatest passion is swimming in the open sea, and she now wants to swim the Seven Oceans within the next two years.
She is determined to achieve that goal as well.
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