Padma Shri Bula Chowdhury is a trailblazing Indian swimmer renowned for her remarkable achievements in both competitive and open water swimming. Starting her career at a young age, she won six gold medals in her first national competition at nine and went on to set national butterfly records that stood for over two decades. She represented India in multiple Asian Games and won numerous medals nationally and internationally. In 1989, Bula became the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel, repeating the feat in 1999. She made history in 2005 by becoming the first woman to swim across sea channels on five continents, including the Strait of Gibraltar, where she set a world record by completing a 30 km swim in just 3 hours 26 minutes. Her other notable swims include crossing the Palk Straits in nearly 14 hours and winning the 81-km Murshidabad Long Distance Swim. Honored with the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, and Tenzing Norgay Lifetime Adventure Award, Bula Chowdhury is celebrated as the “Queen of the Seas” and continues to inspire generations with her extraordinary dedication and pioneering spirit in Indian sports.
