Srikaanth Viswanathan

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(Redirected from Srikaanth Vishwanathan)

Srikaanth Viswanathan (born 15 July 1972) is a 54-year-old Indian open water swimmer from Bangalore, Karnataka, India who completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Swimming is his hobby and passion. At 33, Srikaanth learnt to swim and faced a traumatic near-death experience due to drowning in that process, an event that left him physically and emotionally scarred. He nurtured a dream of swimming the English channel for over 10 years and after multiple relay attempts, he eventually conquered it solo in 2018 at 46. He earned the title of “Oldest Indian to Swim the English Channel” in the Limca Book of Records. Encouraged by the success, he went on to swim the Catalina Channel in Pacific Ocean in LA and Circumnavigation of Manhattan in NY in 2019, earning the coveted title of “Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming”.

In 2021, after years of challenging some of the world’s toughest open-water swims, Srikaanth received India’s highest national honour for adventure sports—the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award —for his unparalleled contributions to marathon swimming. Awarded by the Hon’ble President of India, this recognition was a testament to his dedication, achievements, and pioneering spirit in the world of extreme sports. His favourite mantra being “Life begins at the end of our comfort zone”.


Srikaanth Viswanathan receiving the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020
Dreams to Live Team after successfully completing the swim across the Gibraltar Strait
Srikaanth Viswanathan in New York City after completing the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
National records awarded to him by Limca Book of Records [[1]]
Srikaanth Viswanathan swimming across the 42 km Molokai Channel in Hawaii
Srikaanth Viswanathan after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar with his daughter Kavya Srikanth in 4 hours 26 minutes as the oldest Indian to complete the 14.4 km crossing between Spain and Morocco
Srikaanth Viswanathan and Ravi Sandesh after crossing the 35 km North Channel in 11 hours 38 minutes
Srikaanth Viswanathan and Ravi Sandesh after crossing the 35 km North Channel in 11 hours 38 minutes on 14 August 2023
Srikaanth Viswanathan with Tanvi Deore, Srinath Mukundan, Yana Lohvinenko, and Boris Najafov in a relay team that crossed the 33.5 km English Channel in 10 hours 58 minutes


Open Water Swimming Highlights

  • On 3 Oct 2026, his student & mentee Divya Mahajan (17), from Nashik, India, successfully swam across the English Channel. She completed the swim in 14 hours 35 minutes [2]
  • On 23 Aug 2026, his student & mentee Divya Mahajan (16), from Nashik, India, successfully swam across the North Channel creating a new *World Record for the Youngest Female swimmer*. She completed the swim in 15 hours 50 minutes [3]
  • On 1 May 2026, he led a team comprising of renowned super model & fitness icon Milind Soman, IAS officer Shreyas Hosur, mother of twins Tanvi Deore and Deepika Rana; each bringing a unique journey and perspective to the challenging open-water expedition between Spain and Morocco.
  • On 13 Sep 2025, his student & mentee Divya Mahajan (16), from Nashik, India, successfully swam across the Catalina Channel as swimmer no 802. She completed the swim in 15 hours 22 minutes [4]
  • On 29 June 2024, he coached Tanvi Viplav Deore (33), a mother of two from Nashik, India, to realize her dream of swimming solo in across the 33.5 km English Channel. She completed the swim in 17 hours 41 minutes [5]
  • On 18 June 2024, he coached and mentored a team of 4 to swim across the 33.5 km English Channel, under his newly launched banner, Dreams to Live. Inaugural team, Dreams to Live - Better Together, featured an extraordinary and diverse lineup: Tanvi Deore and Srinath Mukundan from India, Yana Lohvinenko from Ukraine, and Boris Najafov from Azerbaijan. This multi-national, multi-cultural team completed the crossing in 10 hours 58 minutes, demonstrating an incredible spirit of unity throughout this inspirational journey. [6]
  • On 14 August 2023 at the age of 51, he completed a duo crossing with his swim buddy Ravi Sandesh of the 35 km North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland under the escort of Infinity Channel Swimming in 11 hours 38 minutes. They were the first male Duo crossing of the North Channel.
  • On 4 July 2023, he swam across the Strait of Gibraltar along with his daughter Kavya Srikanth in 4 hours 26 minutes and created a record for the oldest Indian to have ever attempted and completed the 14.4 km crossing.
  • On 31 March 2023, he attempted the grueling 42 km crossing of the Molokai Channel from Molokai to Oahu under the escort of Michael Twigg-Smith along with feeder Terri Dietz. After swimming for over 12 hours 30 minutes through the dark night, he ran into the Portuguese man o war and had to abort his swim due to severe pain and discomfort.
  • On 2 September 2015, he participated in a 33.5 km English Channel 8-person relay from England to France in 14 hours 7 minutes.
  • On 4 July 2016, he participated in a 4-person 33.5 km English Channel relay with the Sea Hawks that started as medley relay that had to convert to freestyle relay after 12 hours due to unfavorable tides from England to France in 15 hours 7 minutes.
  • In April 2017, he completed the 2017 10 km National open water swimming competition in Bambolim, Goa, India in 4 hours 19 minutes 37 seconds.
  • In February 2018, he competed in the 2018 10 km National open water swimming competition in Colva, Goa, India.
  • In March 2018, he completed the 2018 10 km National open water swimming competition in Bambolim, Goa, India in 3 hours 49 minutes 36 seconds.
  • On 23 June 2018, he participated in a 2-person 33.5 km English Channel relay finishing in 12 hours 49 minutes.
  • On 21 July 2018, he completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 14 hours 7 minutes at the age of 46. He is entered in the Limca Book of Records for being the oldest Indian swimmer to complete a crossing of the English Channel.
  • On March 2019, he finished 3rd in the 40+ age category in the 2019 10 km National open water swimming competition in Bambolim, Goa, India in 3 hours 52 minutes 21 seconds.
  • On 13 August 2019, he participated in the 32.3 km Catalina Channel 6-person relay in 13 hours 41 minutes 28 seconds.
  • On 16 August 2019, he completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel in 13 hours 4 minutes 2 seconds at the age of 47.
  • On 31 August 2019, he finished 13th in the 45.9 km 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan Island in New York City in 8 hours 7 minutes 30 seconds at the age of 47.
  • On 13 November 2021, he was conferred with India's highest national adventure award - Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020 by Hon'ble President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind, for the Water Category.

TEDx Talks


An Inspiring Tale of Toil, Tears and the English Channel by Srikaanth Viswanathan at TEDxPESUECC


Channeling Your Dreams by Srikaanth Vishwanathan at TEDxManipal

External links


Srikaanth Viswanathan with Tanvi Deore on the boat after helping her swim across the 33.5 km English Channel in 17 hours 41 minutes
Divya Mahajan proudly holding the Indian flag after her successful completion of the North Channel
Divya Mahajan with her coach Srikaanth Viswanathan on the shores of France after her successful completion of the English Channel
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