Google Doodle honours Arati Saha: Know about India's swimming prodigy
Today's Google doodle
is dedicated to Arati Saha, a groundbreaking Indian long-distance swimmer and
Olympian. This day would have been her 80th birthday. On September 29, 1959, she
became the first Asian woman to cross the English Channel, swimming 42 miles
from Cape Gris Nez in France, to Sandgate in England.
Born in Kolkata, Saha's athletic talent
became known when she won her first gold medal for swimming at the age of 5. By
the time she was 11 years old, she earned the title of 'swimming prodigy'.
Today’s Google doodle has been drawn by her
fellow Kolkata native, artist Lavanya Naidu. Naidu hopes her drawing helps
inspire people everywhere to ‘dream big, no matter where they come from'.
Saha earned multiple honours in her early
career, including setting an all-India record in 1949 and breaking Dolly
Nazir's all-India record in a 1951 West Bengal state meet. Read More
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