From casual swimmer to Channel conqueror: Bengaluru man’s incredible feat

Bengaluru: It has been a fortnight since he did what looked impossible: Swimming non-stop for 42km through cold waters, and high tides, and burning 10,000 calories. Having accomplished the feat, all he has been doing after returning home in Bengaluru is to cherish every moment of it!
Meet 49-year-old Siddhartha Agarwal, a Jayamahal resident and a realtor who became one of the oldest Indians to swim across the English Channel, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean located between France and the United Kingdom.Swimming for 15 hours and six minutes, along with 29 liquid feeds, Siddhartha achieved the feat on Aug 29. "In the end, it was all worth it," he said.
Siddhartha said he started swimming as he needed a break from work to refresh his mind and body. "I decided to start swimming as a casual form of exercise. I wasn't a professional swimmer. One day, while swimming in the pool, I met coach Satish. He was training a few others and noticed me swimming nearby. He approached me with a proposition that would change my life: ‘I'm putting together a team to cross the English Channel. Would you be interested?' As a child, I had read about someone crossing the English Channel and remembered it as a monumental feat, although I didn't fully grasp its significance. But the idea intrigued me. Without hesitation, I agreed, still not entirely aware of what I was committing to. That was the beginning of my journey and how I became deeply interested in this incredible challenge."
Siddhartha underwent intense training every morning and evening for a year. "Most employees would be reluctant to take such a break, but my family was fully supportive. In fact, my daughter, inspired by my commitment, joined me in the eight-member relay in June. She had been training for a year and was eager to be part of this adventure."
Siddhartha, on how he was able to achieve this milestone, said, "My driving force throughout this journey was clear determination: I would not stop until I reached the shores of France. Along the way, I faced the typical mental battles—one part of my mind encouraged me to push forward, while the heart urged me to give up. It was a constant fight, especially during the swim when fatigue, hunger and pain set in. The first 20% of the swim was manageable, but as I reached 60-70%, the struggle became intense. At 75%, I wanted to quit. But I had trained my mind to overcome these obstacles, reminding myself that these were just distractions on the way to success."
The last 10km posed the greatest challenge to the swimmer who had to battle rigid conditions and high tides. "This experience was as much about challenging myself mentally as it was about physical endurance. It was 20% physical and 80% mental," he said.
This is not the first time Siddharth has swum in the Channel. In July 2018, he participated in an eight-member relay, followed by a two-member relay in June 2023. In June 2024, he took part in both four-member and eight-member relays, and in Aug of the same year, he completed a solo swim. Notably, in the 2024 eight-member relay, which took 16 hours and 50 minutes to complete, his daughter, Kaahinee, was also part of the team. She swam for two hours, and Siddharth also contributed by swimming for a similar duration.
The 49-year-old said, "The most challenging part was the discipline required for training. Along with the training, I had to make significant lifestyle changes, such as cutting down on refined sugar and reducing social activities at night to ensure I got enough rest. A year before the English Channel swim, I was swimming for an hour three to four times a week. By the time the challenge approached, I was doing nearly two hours at a fast pace, three to four times a week. This was no casual swim."