Rupali Repale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sagar Kanya
Rupali Repale
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Repale receiving National Adventure Award from Hon. Uma Bharti, New Delhi 1999.
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| Born | 3 February 1982 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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| Nationality | Indian |
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| Relatives | Vishal Hinge (Spouse), Swaraj Hinge (Son), Hindavi Hinge (daughter) |
Rupali Ramdas Repale was born on February 3, 1982, in Mumbai, India. She is a famous Indian swimmer who specializes in long distances in open water. She is also a triathlete.
When she was just 12 years old, Rupali swam across the English Channel! This amazing swim happened on August 15, 1994. It took her 16 hours and 7 minutes. This made her the youngest person to successfully swim the English Channel that year. Throughout her swimming career, she has conquered seven different straits, which are narrow passages of water connecting two larger areas.
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Rupali's Early Life
Rupali Repale grew up in Mumbai. Her parents, Ramdas and Rekha Repale, ran small businesses. They moved to Mumbai in the 1970s from a rural area in Pune. They settled in Bhandup, a part of Mumbai.
Rupali went to Bright High School & Junior College in Bhandup. Later, she studied sociology at Mumbai University.
How Rupali Started Swimming
Rupali began swimming when she was very young. She quickly discovered she loved it! Even as a child, she had incredible energy and could swim for many hours.
Her coaches noticed her talent. With support from her father, she started training for long-distance swims. Soon, she was ready to swim in open waters like oceans and channels. Besides swimming, Rupali also competes in Triathlon events, where she has won many awards.
Rupali's Amazing Swims
Rupali Repale has completed many challenging swims around the world. Here are some of her biggest achievements:
- 1994: English Channel
* She swam from England to France. * The distance was 34 kilometers. * It took her 16 hours and 7 minutes. * She was the youngest swimmer to cross it that year!
- 1994: Gibraltar Strait
* She swam from Spain to Morocco. * This swim was 28 kilometers long. * She finished it in 5 hours and 5 minutes.
- 1995: Mumbai to Dharamtar
* This was a two-way swim near the Gateway of India. * The total distance was 72 kilometers. * She completed it in 21 hours and 30 minutes.
- 1995: Sri Lanka to India
* She swam 40 kilometers from Sri Lanka to India. * This took her 11 hours and 5 minutes.
- 1996: Bass Strait
* She swam 65 kilometers from Phillip Bay to Melbourne, Australia. * This swim took 17 hours. * She had to swim inside a special cage because of sharks in the strait!
- 1998: Cook Strait
* She swam from Pegano Head to Waipiro Bay in New Zealand. * This was an incredible 80-kilometer swim. * She finished in 19 hours and 44 minutes. This was a record for the longest successful swim on the first try!
- 2000: Robben Island Channel
* She completed a two-way swim from Three Anchor Bay to Robben Island in South Africa. * The distance was 30 kilometers. * She finished in 7 hours.
Awards and Special Titles
Rupali Repale has received many honors for her incredible achievements:
- National Youth Award
* This was given to her by the President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma, in 1995.
- Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
* This award was presented by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Uma Bharti, in 1999.
- HIMA Foundation Award
* The Governor of Maharashtra, Dr. P C Alexander, gave her this award in 1995.
- Sagar Kanya
* This special title means "Daughter of the Sea." The Government of Maharashtra gave her this honor.
- Dolphin Queen
* The Government of New Zealand gave her this title.
What Rupali Does Now
Today, Rupali is the founder and director of Rupali Industries. This company makes home appliances for water purification.
In her free time, she loves to coach young swimmers at local pools. She helps new talent learn and grow, just like she did!
Books About Rupali
- A book called Jal Akramile has been written about Rupali's life. It is in the Marathi language. Sumedh Vadavala wrote it, and Rajhans Prakashans published it.
- Parts of Rupali's story are even included in the school curriculum in Maharashtra state. This helps encourage young people to get involved in sports!
