Strait success: Milind Soman completes cross-continental swim off Gibraltar

Strait of Gibraltar, here I am

Fitness icon Milind Soman, 60, is back in India, shaking off the drops of water post his Strait of Gibraltar swim from Europe, Tarifa in Spain, to the coast of Morocco, Africa, on May 1. The model/actor said, "I swam with three other Indians, Shreyas Hosur, an IAS officer based in Bengaluru; Deepika Rana, a helicopter pilot; and Tanvi Deore from Nashik, working in the hospitality sector, and we covered the distance in 4.5 hours.

For Milind Soman, it is H2O, way to go. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Soman, who lives near Shivaji Park, added, "I have been a national-level swimmer for India, representing the country in the 100m/200m breaststroke events. I wanted to swim the Strait of Gibraltar for many years. There are permissions to get, and a long wait time. Finally, Srikanth Vishwanathan, another very good long-distance swimmer, helped us get the green light."

Soman on the Fit Indian Run. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE

Soman said the water was approximately 15 degrees. "We had one guide boat for feeding, hydration, and all of us had to be swimming at the same pace. One cannot touch the boat; if you do, you are disqualified." Soman said, "Let me do some Strait [pun intended] talking. This was so much fun, I want to do this again. When it comes to fitness, consistency is key. There is no other Gibraltar-native," he concluded.

Cardio king

Milind Soman's middle name is endurance. In June 2025, he started off on the fifth edition of The Fit Indian Run (formerly known as the Unity Run) from Shivaji Park, Dadar. The Shivaji Park resident covered 558 km on foot and by cycle from Mumbai to Goa, promoting fitness, resilience, and national unity.