Jiya Rai, Conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022.
Jiya Rai created history with a 36-kilometer swim in 8 hours and 40 minutes, covering the distance between the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and Gateway of India.
Personal life
Jiya Rai was born on 10th May 2008.
His father’s name is Madan Rai. He is 12 years old. He lives in Mumbai.
Jiya is India Open Water Para Swimmer and a world record holder in the open water swimming.
DIVYANG sports person who achieved India’s top ranking in open water para-swimming and is a world record holder in open water swimming.
Education & Career
Jiya’s success qualified for registration with the India Book of Records, Asia Book, and Limca Book of Records. He was pleased to receive a certificate and a cup for this record success. The young champion has been around for a long time since he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and speech retardation at the young age of about two years.
Jiya who is now in class 6 student of Mumbai’s Navy Children School (NCS), swam the 14 km distance from Elephanta Island to Gateway of India in three hours, 27 minutes, and 30 seconds. She swam along with the entire event supervised by the Swimming Association of Maharashtra.
Jiya Rai had earlier swam from Elephanta Island to Gateway of India, a distance of 14 km in 03 hrs 27 minutes and 30 sec on February 15, 2020, and holds the world record for the youngest girl with ASD to swim 14 km in open waters.
At the time, Jiya was two and a half years old and had just been diagnosed with autism. Her advisor recommended swimming as a form of therapy and Rais enrolled her in a local swimming pool for lessons. This advice, combined with knocking, convinced Jiya’s parents that swimming would open up a whole new world for their daughter.
She is excellent in the field of sports. Her name got a mention in the Asia Book of Record for her achievement.
