Hyderabad: While many women her age are juggling family and work, this 43-year-old mother of two is doing something different. Meet Queeni Victoriya Gandam, who on June 25 became the first woman from Telangana to successfully swim across the English Channel . She was part of an eight-member relay team that completed the course by swimming a distance of 71 km.
Eight swimmers took turns to complete the course. Victoriya swam two laps — one hour each — to complete the challenge in 16 hours and 50 minutes. It’s an incredible achievement when you consider that Victoriya achieved this feat within five years of taking up the sport at the age of 38.
She was forced to take up swimming by her children, whom she took to swimming lessons. Once she found her calling, there was no turning back. Swimming the English Channel — called the Everest of swimming — requires a lot of training and dedication.
Victoriya trained for two years to achieve the feat. “The credit for my achievement goes to my coach Dinesh Rajoria. My husband Anil Kumar and kids Elizabeth Queen and Stephen Kumar helped me during my training.
I have been training for this challenge since last year at the Blue Dolphins swimming club in Hyderabad,” she told TOI from London on Thursday. “It was challenging, swimming in these cold waters. We got here ten days in advance to get used to the conditions.
I did this to inspire other women,” she said. “Our team comprised eight members hailing from different parts o.
