From Mangalore to the English Channel: Dr Guruprasad Bhat’s Journey Through Cold Waters and Powerful Currents
Mangaluru: At 1:30 a.m. on July 3, 2026, six Indian swimmers entered the cold, dark waters of the English Channel. Among them was Dr. Guruprasad Bhat, a medical oncologist from Mangalore.
Thirteen hours and five minutes later, the team successfully completed the relay crossing from England to France, making Dr. Guruprasad the first Mangalorean to participate in a successful English Channel relay swim.
Often described as the “Everest of open-water swimming,” the English Channel is regarded as one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges. Powerful tides mean swimmers rarely travel in a straight line between England and France, while cold water, unpredictable weather, busy shipping lanes, and jellyfish add to the difficulty.
Under English Channel relay rules, wetsuits are not permitted. Dr. Guruprasad and his teammates swam wearing only regulation swimwear, goggles, brightly coloured caps, and safety blinkers for visibility, taking turns throughout the crossing. Each swimmer spent a cumulative two to three hours in the water during the 13-hour relay.
The six-member team brought together swimmers from diverse age groups and endurance backgrounds.
Front Row (Left to Right): Raghunandan G., Ankita Konwar, Divya Mahajan, Deepika Rana, Arnav Joura
Back Row (Left to Right): Srikaanth Viswanathan, Dr. Guruprasad Bhat
Arnav Joura, aged 14, was the youngest member and among the team’s fastest swimmers. Sixteen-year-old Divya Mahajan had already completed a solo Catalina Channel swim. Triathlete Raghunandan Gangappa, 45, reached speeds of nearly 6 km/h during portions of the relay with favourable tidal assistance.
Deepika Rana, a commercial pilot by profession, recently completed a solo swim across the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Europe from Africa, in approximately four hours. Endurance athlete Ankita Konwar, wife of actor and fitness advocate Milind Soman, brings extensive experience in long-distance endurance events.
The team’s Channel attempt had originally been scheduled for September 2025. However, unfavourable weather prevented a safe crossing, forcing the team to postpone the attempt. During the intervening months, the swimmers intensified their preparations, focusing particularly on cold-water acclimatisation through regular ice-cold showers and cold-water baths.
Their opportunity finally came in July 2026.
The relay was piloted by Stuart Gleeson aboard Sea Leopard, whose expertise in navigation, tides, and weather assessment proved crucial in guiding the swimmers safely through one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The team’s preparation was led by Srikaanth Viswanathan, an accomplished marathon swimmer, endurance coach, and recipient of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in the Water Adventure category. He is also a finisher of the prestigious Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, which comprises solo crossings of the English Channel, Catalina Channel, and the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan.
The relay took place during a historic year for open-water swimming. In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Dr Guruprasad and his teammates completed their relay during the centenary year of that landmark achievement.
With this accomplishment, Dr. Guruprasad has now completed five of the fourteen challenges in his “Double Summits” journey, which combines climbing the highest peaks on each continent with swimming iconic open-water channels.
His achievements include:
* Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
* Climbing Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe.
* Climbing Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia.
* Swimming in California’s Catalina Channel in the Pacific Ocean.
* Swimming the English Channel in the Atlantic Ocean.
For Dr. Guruprasad, however, the journey began much closer to home—at the St Aloysius Swimming Pool in Mangaluru.
He initially took up swimming alongside his son. Although his son later stopped, Dr. Guruprasad continued.
From the swimming pool, he progressed to open-water training in the Udyavar River before moving on to sea swims off Tannirbhavi Beach. During the early stages of his journey, the emphasis was on improving his technique and overcoming his fear of water.
With guidance from coach Manish and experienced open-water swimmers Sanket Bengre and Chaitanya Velhal, he steadily built both his confidence and endurance.
The progression was gradual and systematic. In 2025, Dr. Guruprasad participated in a relay swim across California’s Catalina Channel. The English Channel represented the next milestone in years of increasingly demanding swims, rigorous cold-water training, and extensive open-water experience.
His achievement also carries significance for Mangaluru. Blessed with an extensive coastline and numerous rivers, the region offers excellent opportunities for open-water swimming. However, open water presents serious risks, making proper swimming skills, expert coaching, and a gradual transition from pool swimming essential.
Dr. Guruprasad’s journey exemplifies that pathway: learn in the pool, perfect technique, train with experienced swimmers, and then progress into open water under expert guidance.
On July 3, 2026, that journey carried him from Mangaluru to the historic waters between England and France—one stroke at a time.
