“Hardest battle was not the waves — it was building a team,” says para-swimmer Satendra Lohiya after crossing Cook Strait

On February 12 Indiarsquos Satendra Singh Lohiya became the first Asian paraswimmer to cross New Zealandrsquos Cook Strait completing the 24 km openwater challenge despite harsh weather icy currents and a lastminute team collapse ldquoI never accepted feeling disabled I have always believed there is nothing I cannot dordquo he said while talking to MidDayParaswimmer Satendra Singh Lohiya with Prime Minister Narendra ModiAdversity made me strongerWhile the icy waters and harsh weather tested his endurance the toughest battle was assembling a team in a country he had never set foot in After years of mental and physical preparation before flying to New Zealand events did not unfold as he had hoped His first attempt ended in heartbreak when members of his relay team withdrew midway leaving his dream seemingly shattered in the middle of the challenge ldquoMy dreams were breaking before my eyesrdquo Satendra recalled ldquoBut instead of returning home defeated I chose to fight backrdquoWith no relay team to help him complete the circuit in a distant corner of the world Lohiya demonstrated that success demands far more than passion and grit Within hours of speaking to more than a hundred swimmers in New Zealand he managed to assemble a new support team on a continent he had never visited beforeSue Mellsop Andy McDonagh Deb Hambly Ellen Wellington and Brett Richardson from Wellington stood by him helping him regroup and prepare for another attempt This time there was no turning backThe biggest hurdleLohiya had trained for years for the attempt but his initial plan fell apart when his relay support team withdrew midwaySatendra Singh Lohiya during his successful Cook Strait crossing in New ZealandldquoThe toughest part of the Cook Strait was not the distance nor the harsh weather or cold waters it was building a new team in a country I had never been tordquo he said ldquoAfter being left almost alone with only a few members of my original team it was my pilot in New Zealand who helped me find swimmers willing to support my crossingrdquoAcknowledging the role his new teammates played Lohiya added ldquoNew Zealand is one of the best countries in the world not just because of its scenic beauty but because of its people who are always ready to help without hesitation If I had not found those five swimmers in Wellington my dream of crossing the Cook Strait would have remained incompleterdquoFrom Bhind to WellingtonBorn with both legs Lohiya lost them just months later due to alleged medical negligence What could have extinguished a dream instead of igniting one As a child he found freedom in the water taking his first strokes in a local river near his village Even when people told him that sports were ldquonot meantrdquo for someone like him he quietly made a promise to himself that he would conquer the watersSpeaking to Midday while waiting for his flight back home from New Zealand Lohiya reflected on his journey ldquoEven though every person and every minute made me feel that I was disabled I never accepted it I have always believed there is nothing I cannot dordquo he saidAfter completing his schooling he moved to Gwalior to pursue professional training Money was scarce support was limited and doubts were constant Yet with every obstacle his resolve only strengthenedHis first major breakthrough came at the 10th National Paralympic Swimming Championship where he won a bronze medal mdash a moment that reaffirmed he was on the right pathIn 2014 he was honoured with the lsquoVikram Awardrsquo by the Madhya Pradesh government presented by then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh ChouhanMumbai A breakthrough in Satendrarsquos careerUntil then Lohiya had competed only in traditional Paralympicstyle 50m and 100m swimming events However the city of dreams introduced him to something he had never imagined sea swimmingWhen he arrived in Mumbai to participate in his first open sea swimming competition organised by the Indian Navy he experienced a turning point ldquoI was a shortdistance swimmer That swim in Mumbai opened the doors to sea swimming for merdquo he said recalling the moment that reshaped his sporting ambitionsInternational waters awaited LohiyaSoon his ambitions expanded beyond Indian shores After becoming a decorated paraathlete by completing almost every crosscountry swimming circuit in India he registered for the prestigious 32 km English Channel challenge one of the most demanding openwater swims in the world The cost of such crosscountry swims mdash often between Rs 15 and 20 lakh mdash posed a major hurdle It was then that Tata Trusts stepped in to support him financially in 2018ldquoWhile no one believed in me Tata Trust showed faith by helping me financiallyrdquo Lohiya said adding that he not only completed the English Channel swim but also created a recordSatendra Lohiya honoured with Padma Shri in 2024After dominating international waters in crosscountry swimming across numerous national and global competitions para swimmer Satendra Lohiya was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri in 2024 The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu in recognition of his outstanding achievements and inspirational contribution to Indian sportsSatendra Lohiya receiving Padma Shri in 2024 from President Droupadi Murmu PicSpecial arrangementExpressing his feeling on being honoured by the President and meeting the Prime Minister Lohiya said ldquoThat day holds a very special place in my heart When I started I always had the belief in myself However this was something that I never thought of those few moments still feel like a dreamrdquo AchievementSwimmer Satendra Singh Lohiya 38Distance 24 kmLocation Cook Strait New ZealandDate February 12Historic first First Asian paraswimmer to complete the crossingThe struggles of Indiarsquos paraathletesWhen asked about the broader challenges faced by paraathletes in India Lohiya spoke candidly ldquoSports authorities in India do not prioritise paraathletes Many of us travelling abroad get stuck in immigration or visa clearances which sometimes causes us to miss our eventsrdquo he saidldquoAll a paraathlete in India seeks is proper guidance from sports officials so that we can smoothly complete immigration formalities and travel across the globe to fulfil the dreams we work towards every dayrdquo Padma Shri awardee Satendra Lohiya addedSatendras life has not been freeflowing PicSpecial arrangementsDespite winning national medals Lohiya received no structured support from the state reflecting the absence of a clear policy for paraathletes at the time He wrote multiple letters to the Social Justice Ministry and the Sports and Youth Welfare Department of Madhya Pradesh but received no response In 2015 he went a step further filing a Public Interest Litigation PIL in the Jabalpur High Court and submitting several RTI applicationsIt was only after his historic English Channel triumph that the government took note In March 2019 Madhya Pradesh introduced a policy recognising paraathletes in registered competitions and awarding them on par with ablebodied athletes mdash a significant move toward greater equality in Indian sportLohiyas New Zealand support teamSatendra Lohiya with his team members in Wellington PicSpecial arrangementsSue MellsopAndy McDonaghDeb HamblyEllen WellingtonBrett RichardsonldquoThe toughest part was not the cold or distance but rebuilding a team in a country I had never been tordquo Lohiya saidCost of chasing global dreamsLongdistance international swims can cost Rs 1520 lakh often funded through sponsorships or personal loans Reflecting on the financial struggles that he faced Lohiya said that financial backing from Tata Trusts helped him attempt global challengesWhy Cook Strait is so difficultDistance About 24 kmWater temperature Often near freezingCurrents Among the worldrsquos strongest tidal flowsWeather Sudden winds and rough seasNamed after British explorer Captain James Cook the strait separates New Zealandrsquos North and South Islands and is considered one of the toughest openwater swims globally