iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
India’s Jiya Rai won big at the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Awards in California.
The swimmer won the gold in the Adaptive Performance of the Year category.
“At 16 years old, became the first girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder to swim across the English Channel, finishing in 17h 25m,” the official citation read.
The award honored the exceptional achievements of athletes, organizers, and contributors in the open water swimming world in 2024. Excellence across six categories were recognized.
“This year, 849 individuals nominated 177 remarkable candidates. The 83-member WOWSA Awards Voting Academy and Advisory Board carefully evaluated the nominations, narrowing them down to 10 finalists per category. The final winners emerged through a combination of Academy votes and over 6000 public votes, underscoring the community’s active engagement in celebrating its most outstanding members,” an official news release stated.
The 60 nominees in the 2024 WOWSA Awards represented 24 countries, showcasing the truly international nature of open water swimming. This year’s nominees hailed from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, and the USA. Their remarkable achievements reflect the sport’s growing prominence and inspire swimmers worldwide.
“The WOWSA Awards honor the extraordinary individuals whose dedication and resilience shape the global open water swimming community,” said Quinn Fitzgerald, WOWSA Executive Director. “These nominees have made a profound impact on the sport, and we are privileged to celebrate them as true ambassadors of open water swimming.”
(Photo courtesy: www.openwaterswimming.com)
