Celebrating Outstanding English Channel Crossing Achievements
In the past weeks, members of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team have once again demonstrated extraordinary endurance and determination in the waters of the English Channel. Two successful solo crossings and an earlier all-women relay have added inspiring new chapters to the team’s long history of open-water swimming. These achievements highlight the spirit of self-transcendence that defines the team’s approach to sport.
Abhejali’s Historic Breaststroke Crossing
On 28–29 July, Abhejali Bernardová completed her third solo crossing of the English Channel, this time swimming breaststroke. She finished in 17 hours and 38 minutes. Abhejali is only the fifth woman and the 18th person overall to complete a breaststroke crossing of the Channel. Even more remarkably, she is the only person in the world to have swum the English Channel in both freestyle and breaststroke. Supported by a dedicated crew including Dhavala, Shyamala and Nina from the Czech Republic, her achievement stands as a landmark in open-water swimming history.
Jayasalini’s Unique Double Achievement
One week later, on 7 August, Jayasalini Olga Abramovskikh crossed the English Channel in 18 hours and 27 minutes. With this swim, she became the only person in the world to have completed both the “Everest of long-distance running” — the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race (which she finished in 2014) — and the “Everest of open-water swimming,” the English Channel. Her pilot Eddie, who had previously guided Vijaya’s successful swim, knows the team well and provided excellent support.
The Sri Chinmoy Peace Dreamers Relay
Earlier in the season, on 14 June, three accomplished women ultra-athletes from the team — Abhejali Bernardová, Jayasalini Olga Abramovskikh and Vasanti Niemz (age 69) — completed a three-person relay across the English Channel. They named their team the Sri Chinmoy Peace Dreamers and dedicated the swim to peace. The relay took place in water temperatures of around 15°C and was guided by the experienced pilot Simon Ellis and Marilyn Critchlow on the boat High Hopes.
The three swimmers rotated hourly, facing the challenge of getting back into cold water after only short rests. Despite some seasickness, they made steady progress, aided by favourable winds and currents. After approximately 13–14 hours, they reached the French shore at La Courte Dune near Cap Gris-Nez. In the dark, with some bioluminescence in the water, they lit a Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run torch on the beach and offered a peace prayer together.
Honouring Gertrude Ederle’s Centenary
The relay was inspired in part by the centenary of Gertrude Ederle’s historic 1926 crossing. One hundred years earlier, on 6 August 1926, the 19-year-old American Olympic champion became the first woman to swim the English Channel solo. Two days after their own successful relay, the three women visited the Gertrude Ederle memorial at Kingsdown and took a short commemorative swim near the site.
A Long Tradition of Channel Swims
For the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, this was the fifth successful English Channel relay and the fourth all-women relay (following relays in 1989, 2009, 2014 and now 2026). Full details and a list of all team swims can be found here:
Channel Swimming Records – Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team
The Spirit Behind the Swims
Throughout the relay the swimmers carried a Peace Run torch on board and meditated briefly with it before each rotation. Their motto and theme song came from Sri Chinmoy:
Only the Peace-Dreamers, Peace-Lovers and Peace-Servers can transform the world.
The English Channel has long been called the Everest of open-water swimming. These recent successes by Abhejali, Jayasalini and the Peace Dreamers relay show that with preparation, teamwork, inner determination and a higher purpose, even the most demanding challenges can be met.
Looking Ahead
Both Abhejali and Jayasalini, as well as Vasanti, continue to inspire with their ongoing ultra-distance projects. Abhejali’s breaststroke crossing and Jayasalini’s unique double achievement will surely encourage many others to explore their own limits — in the water, on the road, and in daily life.
Final Reflections
These English Channel crossings are more than athletic accomplishments. They are living expressions of self-transcendence, teamwork and a sincere dedication to peace. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team continues to show that when the heart is strong and the goal is clear, the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
Explore More
For more information about sports events, visit the official website: www.srichinmoyraces.org.
To learn more about Sri Chinmoy, please visit: www.srichinmoy.org.
