Los Angeles, Sep 14 — The Consul General of India in Los Angeles, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, met and interacted with members of the SwimLife Orcas, a Masters swimming team from Bengaluru, following their remarkable achievement in completing a double crossing of the Catalina Channel off the coast of Southern California.

The six-member team completed the demanding two-way Catalina Channel relay on September 10–11, 2026, in 29 hours and 24 minutes, subject to final ratification. According to the team’s expedition report, the feat represents only the 12th successful double crossing of the Catalina Channel since 1991 and the first by an Asian team.

During the interaction, Consul General Dr. Srinivasa warmly congratulated the swimmers and their coach on the extraordinary achievement. He appreciated their physical endurance, mental resilience, discipline, and exceptional teamwork, noting that their accomplishment was a matter of pride for India and the Indian community in the United States. He particularly commended the team for raising the Indian Tricolour on the shores of Southern California after completing an endurance challenge in one of the world’s demanding open-water environments.

The SwimLife Orcas were guided by Coach Satish Kumar Mohan, 49, Founder of SwimLife Academy, Vice President of the Swimming Federation of India and Secretary of the Karnataka Swimming Association.

The six swimmers who formed the team were: Meghana Mayya, 48, Senior Director–Technology at Lowe’s India; Varuna Mayya, 43, Principal Technical Specialist at Nokia Networks; Sindhu Naropanth, 41, Senior Tech Program Manager at Walmart Global Technologies; Nikhil Mysore Manjunath, 35, Associate Director at LTIMindtree; Siddhartha Agarwal, 52, Founder of Bhoruka Park; and team captain Sumanth Naropanth, 45, founder of Indian cybersecurity companies Deep Armor and Gauntlet.

The team brings together accomplished professionals from India’s technology and business sectors with extensive experience in Masters and open-water swimming. Several members have competed at State, National and International Masters championships and have previously participated in successful relay crossings of the English Channel, Catalina Channel and Palk Strait.

Siddhartha Agarwal has also undertaken multiple relay and solo crossings and holds a Limca record for being the oldest Indian swimmer to successfully cross the English Channel.

The Catalina expedition tested the swimmers under formidable conditions. The channel stretches approximately 32 kilometres between Santa Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland, with currents, winds and ocean swells substantially increasing the effective swimming distance. The relay was conducted in one-hour rotations under Catalina Channel Swimming Federation regulations and was monitored by official observers.

The team began its crossing from the mainland at 8:17 a.m. on September 10. After completing the first leg shortly after midnight, the swimmers immediately commenced the return journey. Much of the challenge was undertaken during a new-moon night in near-total darkness, with the swimmers navigating cold waters, currents, fatigue, and changing sea conditions. By the conclusion of the expedition, each team member had completed five hours of ocean swimming.

Dr. Srinivasa observed that the achievement exemplified the determination, excellence and spirit of contemporary India, while also showcasing the ability of Indians from demanding professional careers to excel at the highest levels of endurance sport. He wished the SwimLife Orcas continued success and expressed the hope that their accomplishment would inspire more young Indians, women and professionals to pursue swimming, fitness and adventure sports.

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