India, Oct. 1 -- Swimming against the odds, 17-year-old girl Jiya Rai with Autism Spectrum Disorder, has become the first female para-swimmer to successfully swim solo across the Catalina Channel near Los Angeles, USA. Jiya covered a distance of 34 km in 15 hours, 01 minute and 43 seconds, starting at midnight on September 25 from Catalina Island, and finished at the coast of California near San Pedro on September 26, 2025. Jiya is the daughter of Madan Rai, MC-at-Arms II of the Indian Navy and has dedicated this swim for Autism awareness.

In the past, Jiya had won international acclaim for her swimming prowess including a world record for her swim across the English Channel in 2024 and Palk Strait in 2022. A recipient of the World Open ...