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INDIndiaSport:SwimmingBula Choudhury, whose name also appears as Bula Chowdhury Chakraborty, is an Indian swimmer with achievements in both pool competition and open water. A contemporary account describes her early lessons in Srirampur and later training in Kolkata. She became a leading national pool swimmer before taking on the English Channel in 1989.
Her first England-to-France crossing is recorded at 10 hours and 46 minutes, followed by a second successful crossing in 1999. Between those swims, she won six gold medals at the 1991 South Asian Federation Games. Her later open-water career included the Catalina Channel, Cook Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Palk Strait.
Government records document her wider recognition. She received an adventure-sport lifetime achievement award at a presidential ceremony in September 2004. The official 2008 Padma Awards announcement lists her for the Padma Shri in sport.
Two English Channel crossings · 1989 and 1999
Also recorded as Bula Chowdhury, Bula Chowdhury Chakraborty.
Crossing details, recordings & verificationSolo swim
Tuesday, 12 September 1989 (recorded swim date)
England → France
Elapsed time · 10h 46m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Published account checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Solo swim
1999 · exact day not recorded here
England → France
Elapsed time · 13h 15m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Published account checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Wednesday, 28 August 2002 (event date)
Completed Catalina Island → mainland.
Elapsed time · 10h 23m 14s
Ratifying body's record checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Tuesday, 25 March 2003 (event date)
New Zealand
Completed North Island → South Island.
Elapsed time · 9h 4m
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
12 September 1989
The recorded swim date is 12 September, with an elapsed time of 10 hours 46 minutes.
1991
Won six golds at the South Asian Federation Games.
1999
Completed another England-to-France solo; the precise calendar date remains unconfirmed.
21 September 2004
Received the adventure-sport lifetime achievement award at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
25 January 2008
Named in the Government of India’s 2008 Padma Awards announcement.
Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.
No eligible completed results are linked yet. Link a completed result to start the achievement collection.
First recorded finish
1 more finish needed
0 of 1 recorded
Selected swimming performances appear in the English Channel record above.
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