Pune: Geeta Malusare Conquers The English Channel After Overcoming 11 Surgeries And Years Of Setbacks

Pune: Geeta Deepa Mahesh Malusare, a long-distance swimmer from Mulshi in Pune district, has successfully crossed the English Channel after overcoming years of physical setbacks, including 11 surgeries on her arm following a jellyfish sting. Her achievement has been hailed as an inspiring story of determination and resilience.

Geeta completed the English Channel swim on June 27, covering 54 km in 14 hours and 31 minutes. Although the official distance of the English Channel is around 35 km, changing sea currents and tides increased the actual distance she had to swim. The swim was conducted under the supervision of the English Channel Swimming Association (ECSA). She trained under international coaches Shekhar Khasnis and Pratik Jawadekar.

Known as the "Mermaid of India," Geeta began swimming at the age of three and gradually established herself as one of the country's top long-distance swimmers. In 2017, on her 13th birthday, she created a record by swimming 32 km in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai in just 6 hours and 26 minutes. She has since performed consistently in several national-level open-water competitions while also completing her graduation from Fergusson College.

Her journey, however, has been filled with challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted her training for nearly two years. Soon after resuming practice, she suffered a life-changing setback during a sea swimming competition in Ratnagiri in November 2022 when she was severely stung by a venomous jellyfish.

The sting seriously injured her arm, and doctors feared she could permanently lose its use. Over the following year, she underwent 11 surgeries. At one stage, many believed her swimming career had come to an end.

Despite the pain, Geeta refused to give up. Over the past year, she trained for eight to ten hours every day. According to her family, she often continued practising even when the wounds on her arm had not fully healed and were still bleeding.

Just days before the English Channel swim, Geeta was again stung by a jellyfish during practice in England. Fortunately, the sting was not poisonous, but the fear of encountering more jellyfish remained throughout the swim. Even while battling pain from her old injuries during the crossing, she remained focused on completing the challenge.

With the successful English Channel crossing, Geeta has taken the first major step towards achieving her dream of earning the prestigious "Queen of Ocean" title. The honour is awarded to swimmers who complete the world's seven major open-water channel swims.

She is now preparing for two more international challenges later this year. In September, she will attempt the 32-km Catalina Channel swim in California, followed by the 46-km Twenty Bridges Swim in New York on October 1.

Geeta's father, Mahesh Malusare, said he was proud of his daughter's courage and determination. He recalled that there was a time when the injuries threatened to end her swimming career, but instead of giving up, she set herself the ambitious goal of completing the Seven Ocean Challenge.

He said Geeta continued to train despite severe pain and bleeding from her injured arm, adding that her success was made possible by her determination, discipline, perseverance and self-belief. Her remarkable comeback, he said, is an inspiration for young athletes to pursue their dreams despite the toughest challenges.