Mihir Sen Biography 
Mihir Sen was a Bengali swimmer, who is credited as the first Indian swimmer to swim across the English Channel. He conquered the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 1958 in the fourth fastest time. This long distance swimmer the only man to earn the distinction of swimming the Oceans of the 5 continents in one calendar year, and he achieved this feat in 1966. Bangladeshi swimmer Brojen Das of Indian origin has also crossed English Channel in 1958, and he is credited to be the first Asian to achieve this feat. Government of India has honoured him with Padma Shri in 1959 and Padma Bhushan in 1967. He is also a recipient of Blitz Nehru Trophy in 1967.
Mihir’s name is always remembered as world’s best long distance swimmer, and he was a national hero in the post-independent era. Apart from being the first Indian to cross English Channel in 1958, he owns a bunch of records in his credit. He is the only man to earn the distinction of swimming the Oceans of the 5 continents in one calendar year, when he covered Palk Strait, Dardanelles, Bosphorpous, The straits of Gibraltar and the entire length of the Panama Canal in year 1966. His name was included in The Guinness Book of Records as the "world's greatest long distance swimmer" following this performance. His achievement to cross English Channel later inspired Indian female swimmer, Arati Saha to cross the English Channel, the first Indian woman to achieve this feat.
Mihir Sen was born on 16 November 1930 in Purulia, Manbhum, Bengal Presidency. His father Dr. Ramesh Sengupta was a physician. The family moved to Cuttack when Mihir was eight, so that he could get better education. His younger days spent in poverty, yet he completed his graduation. In 1950, he managed to board a ship heading for England, and earned the job of a night porter at a railway station. He enrolled at Lincoln's Inn to study Law in 1951.
He got inspired by an article in a local newspaper about Florence Chadwick, the first American woman to swim the English Channel in 1950. But at that time he had hardly any experience in swimming. Later he mastered freestyle from a local YMCA and became the first Indian to swim the English Channel. He achieved this feat on 27 September, 1958 after a few unsuccessful attempts. Upon his return to India he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1959.
Published: January 30, 2019
Updated: January 30, 2019
