Making waves: Bengaluru swimming coach leads team across Strait of Gibraltar

Bengaluru: Imagine swimming through the unpredictable, cold waters of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, battling strong currents and tides, with Morocco on the horizon. That is exactly what a team of four swimmers, led by Bengalurean and swimmer Srikaanth Viswanathan, accomplished recently by the Strait of Gibraltar in 4 hours and 33 minutes.The team that did the grueling open-water expedition between Spain and Morocco comprised city-based IRAS officer Shreyas Hosur, 38, fitness icon and actor Milind Soman, 60, a resort director Tanvi Deore, 35, and helicopter pilot Deepika Rana, 36.Speaking to TOI, Srikaanth described the crossing as truly memorable. “The Gibraltar swim is a challenging one. In this attempt, four swimmers undertake the solo crossing in tandem, making it crucial for all four to maintain a similar swimming pace for over 4–5 hours in the open water. This team was carefully selected through qualifying swims conducted in cold-water conditions, ensuring not only physical endurance but also mental resilience and compatibility as a unit,” Srikaanth said.On the preparations in the run-up to the swim on May 1, Srikaanth said: “We reached Spain a week prior to our swim window and trained twice daily to acclimatize to the cold water conditions in Tarifa. Eventually, it turned out to be a perfect day for the swim, and the team completed the crossing in an impressive time of 4 hours and 33 minutes.”The four swimmers are no strangers to pushing boundaries. Milind Soman, widely regarded as one of the India’s iconic fitness personalities, has completed multiple Ironman events and continues to inspire thousands through his Pinkathon initiative.Shreyas Hosur, currently serving as senior divisional finance manager with Indian Railways in Bengaluru, has participated in Ironman events and swam around Manhattan Island in 2025. Nashik-based Tanvi Deore, a resort director and mother of seven-year-old twins, had previously swam the English Channel solo in 2024 and was honoured with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Puraskar by the Maharashtra govt in 2025. Deepika Rana, a Mumbai-based helicopter pilot, has been training under Srikaanth for open-water swims and completed a relay crossing of the Catalina Channel in 2025.Tanvi Deore said: “I have dreamt of swimming the English Channel since I was nine years old, after my father read me an article about it. That dream never faded — not through my graduation, my marriage, my business, or even after my twins were born. The Gibraltar crossing is my second of the Ocean 7 challenge, and I intend to swim all seven.”