Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Nashik Teen Sets World Record In North Channel Swim
Divya Mahajan is a 16-year-old swimmer from Nashik.
She swam across the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The journey took 15 hours and 50 minutes.
The water was very cold and the sea had strong currents and winds.
There were also changing tides and jellyfish to worry about.
Divya became the youngest person to complete this swim.
She broke the record set by Jessica Robbins, who was 17 when she crossed in 2023.
Divya trained hard and was inspired by her father’s achievements in cycling.
Sixteen-year-old Divya Mahajan from Nashik crossed the North Channel in 15 hours and 50 minutes.
The approximately 40-kilometre route runs from Donaghadee in Northern Ireland to Portpatrick in Scotland.
The swim involved cold water, strong currents, changing tides, powerful winds and jellyfish risks.
Mahajan became the youngest swimmer to complete the North Channel crossing, surpassing Jessica Robbins’s 2023 record.
Mahajan, a Class 11 student in Manchester, was inspired by her father, cyclist Dr Hitendra Mahajan.
- Who
- Sixteen-year-old swimmer Divya Mahajan from Nashik.
- What
- She crossed the North Channel in 15 hours and 50 minutes, becoming its youngest successful swimmer.
- When
- The articles do not provide the date of the crossing; Jessica Robbins’s previous record was set in 2023.
- Where
- Across the North Channel, from Donaghadee in Northern Ireland to Portpatrick in Scotland.
- Why
- To complete the challenging channel crossing; the achievement followed rigorous training and inspiration from her father, Dr Hitendra Mahajan.
- Swimmer
- Divya Mahajan
- Age
- 16
- Completion time
- 15 hours and 50 minutes
- Distance
- Approximately 40 kilometres
- Route
- Donaghadee to Portpatrick
- Previous record holder
- Jessica Robbins, who crossed in 2023 at age 17 years and 163 days
- Current status
- Class 11 student in Manchester