Internet search engine and information technology giant Google celebrates the 80th birthday of 'trailblazing Indian swimmer Arati Saha' with a doodle on it's home page. "In honor of her enduring achievements, Saha became the first-ever female recipient of India’s Padma Shri award in 1960," stated Google on it's website..
"Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Kolkata native and guest artist Lavanya Naidu, celebrates the 80th birthday of the trailblazing Indian swimmer Arati Saha. On September 29, 1959, Saha covered a breathtaking 42 miles from Cape Gris Nez, France to Sandgate, England (a route depicted in today’s Doodle) to become the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel—a feat considered the swimming equivalent of climbing Mount Everest," informs Google's website.
Google wished "Happy birthday, Arati Saha, and thank you for channeling your passion to inspire women everywhere!" and added that Arati Saha was born on September 24 in 1940 in Calcutta and she learned to swim on the banks of the Hooghly River at the age of four years. "Her precocious skill in the water soon attracted the mentorship of one of India’s top competitive swimmers, Sachin Nag. Under Nag’s wing, Saha won her first swimming gold medal when she was only five, and it was certainly not her last," informed Google.
"A record-setting prodigy by just 11 years old, Saha became the youngest member (and one of only four women) on the first team to represent the newly independent India in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. At the age of 18, Saha made her first attempt to cross the English Channel, and though it was unsuccessful, she never gave up. Just over a month later, she conquered miles of churning waves and currents to complete the journey, a historic victory for women across India," concluded Google.
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