Missing out on the Bell Buoy Challenge in April due to visa problems hasn’t deterred two swimming stars from India who arrived in Nelson Mandela Bay this week determined to become the first sisters to complete this epic swim. The sisters, Rashmi (23 yrs) and Richa (19 yrs) Sharma, from Kolkata are accomplished open water swimmers who were the first sisters to swim the Straight of Gibraltar. Rashmi not only holds the record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel by an Indian swimmer but also became the first Indian swimmer to complete the English Channel swim three times. This is their first visit to South Africa and immediately after the Nelson Mandela Bay swim they will be heading for Cape Town to attempt a Robben Island swim and in so doing would have completed two of Africa’s iconic open water ocean swimming events.
“I’ve been reading all about ocean swimmer Lewis Pugh, who has swum in all the oceans of the world and I’d like to try and achieve this too. I read that Pugh had swum in Algoa Bay and we are here now to do the same.” said Rashmi.
“We were very disappointed when the Sharma sisters couldn’t attend our Bell Bouy Challenge in April and extended them an invite to come to Nelson Mandela Bay at their earliest opportunity so that we could arrange a solo swim for them. With the assistance of the Beach Office and PE’s expert open water swimmer Kyle Main, we’re looking forward to the sisters achieving another world first right here in Algoa Bay.” said open water swimming organiser Michael Zoetmulder of Zports. “The Bell Buoy Challenge has attracted some of the World’s best swimmers to Nelson Mandela Bay. In 2010 World Champion Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria became the first official winner of the swim alongside World 5km ladies champion Melissa Gorman of Australia who won the ladies category. This year Slovenian star Rok Keron claimed the title in what was dubbed one of the toughest ocean swim in the world.
The epic 11km swim from Kings Beach to the Bell Buoy and back is planned for Wednesday morning, starting at 6.30am. Main who has just returned from England where he was unable to attempt in his bid to become the fastest South African to swim the English Channel, because of poor weather conditions, will be swimming alongside the sisters. Main was the first swimmer to officially swim the Bell Buoy swim in 2008 and his experience of Algoa Bay will be a welcome confidence boost for the Indian swimmers.
