From Kalna to the Ocean Seven: Sayani Das Chases Historic Open-Water Swimming Glory

New Delhi: At 28, Sayani Das from Kalna in West Bengal is on the verge of creating history in open-water swimming as she prepares to cross Japan’s Tsugaru Strait, the seventh and final challenge in the prestigious Ocean Seven series. A postgraduate student with an unwavering passion for endurance swimming, Sayani’s remarkable journey is a story of perseverance, sacrifice and determination.

Initially a competitive pool swimmer who represented West Bengal at the national level, Sayani soon realized that her aspirations extended beyond conventional swimming competitions. Inspired by legendary English Channel and international open-water swimmers, she shifted her focus to marathon swimming despite having limited training facilities in her hometown. With no standard swimming pool or experienced open-water coach in Kalna, she spent over two years preparing physically, mentally and technically before attempting the English Channel in 2017.

Since then, she has successfully conquered several of the world’s most demanding ocean channels, including the English Channel, North Channel, Molokai Channel and Strait of Gibraltar. Her latest challenge—the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan—could make her one of the few swimmers in the world to earn the coveted “Ocean Seven” title.

Sayani’s journey has been made possible through the unwavering support of her family. Her father, a former school headmaster and athletics enthusiast, mortgaged the family home and took loans to fund her international swimming career when sponsorship was unavailable, while her mother remained her strongest emotional supporter. Under the technical guidance of Dr. Tapan Kumar Panigrahi, a Dronacharya Award-winning swimming coach, Sayani continues to pursue her dream of bringing glory to India and inspiring the next generation of swimmers.