UpdateBot at 20:05, 27 January 2022

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{{short description|Indian open-air swimmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bhakti Sharma
| image = Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for the year-2011 to Ms. Bhakti Sharma for Water Adventure, in a glittering ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 29, 2012.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Sharma at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]] in 2011
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|11|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| nationality = Indian
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = [[Open water swimming|Open water swimmer]]
| yearsactive = 2003–present
| spouse =
| children =
| awards = [[Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]], 2010
| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20180223095209/http://bhaktisharma.in/ bhaktisharma.in]
}}

'''Bhakti Sharma''' (born 30 November 1989) is an Indian [[Open water swimming|Open water swimmer]].

Sharma is the first Asian woman and the youngest in the world to set a record in open swimming in Antarctic waters. Sharma swam {{convert|1.4|mi|km}} in 41.14 minutes, at a temperature of {{convert|1|C|F}}, breaking the record of [[Lynne Cox]] (USA) and [[Lewis Pugh]] (Great Britain).<ref name="HT14012015">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/sport-topstories/open-water-swimmer-bhakti-sets-world-record-in-antarctic-ocean/article1-1306748.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114152010/http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/sport-topstories/open-water-swimmer-bhakti-sets-world-record-in-antarctic-ocean/article1-1306748.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 January 2015|title=Open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma sets world record in Antarctic Ocean|date=14 January 2015|website=Hindustan Times|author=Press Trust of India|accessdate=15 January 2015}}</ref> Bhakti Sharma has swum in all the five oceans of the world, besides swimming in or across eight other seas and channels. She was awarded the [[Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]] in 2010.<ref name="TOI">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesnow.tv/SPORTS/Bhakti-Sharma-conquers-Antarctic-Ocean/videoshow/4472619.cms|title=Bhakti Sharma conquers Antarctic Ocean|website=Times of India|accessdate=15 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115075909/http://www.timesnow.tv/SPORTS/Bhakti-Sharma-conquers-Antarctic-Ocean/videoshow/4472619.cms|archive-date=15 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On June 22, 2016, [[A. R. Rahman]] tweeted to support the crowdfunding campaign started by Sharma on [[Fueladream.com]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-06-23|title=AR Rahman tweets to raise funds for 'talented' swimmer Bhakti Sharma|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/ar-rahman-tweets-to-raise-funds-for-talented-swimmer-bhakti-sharma-2870936/|access-date=2021-08-26|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Sharma was born in [[Mumbai]] and brought up in [[Udaipur]], Rajasthan. She holds a master's degree from [[Symbiosis School of Media and Communication, Bengaluru]] in Communications Management, and holds a bachelor's degree in Commerce from Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan.

==Swimming career==
Sharma started swimming at a young age of 2 and a half years, coached by her mother Leena Sharma. After having participated in many State and District Level competitions, her first open water (Sea) swim was a 16 km swim from Uran port to Gateway of India in 2003. Sharma was just 14 years old that time.<ref name="Interview in Udaipur Times">{{cite web|title=Interview in Udaipur Times|url=http://udaipurtimes.com/interview-bhakti-sharma-swimming-flow-winning/|accessdate=15 January 2015|archive-date=25 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225054103/http://udaipurtimes.com/interview-bhakti-sharma-swimming-flow-winning/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=Guest|date=2021-08-08|title=The Paradox Of India's Olympian Daughters|url=https://feminisminindia.com/2021/08/09/the-paradox-of-indias-olympian-daughters/|access-date=2021-08-16|website=Feminism In India|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Along with her Mother-Coach Leena Sharma and friend Priyanka Gehlot, Bhakti holds the Asian record for the first swim by a 3-member women's relay team across the [[English Channel]]. She also shares a world record with her mother for being the first mother-daughter pair to swim across the English Channel, a feat that they achieved in 2008.

Sharma is only the third person in the world to have swum in the [[Arctic Ocean]], and recently swam in the Antarctic Ocean to become the youngest to swim in all five oceans, a feat which earned her recognition from Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Prime Minister Narendra Modi Congratulates Record-Breaking Swimmer Bhakti Sharma|url=http://sports.ndtv.com/swimming/news/236005-prime-minister-narendra-modi-congratulates-record-breaking-swimmer-bhakti-sharma|accessdate=5 February 2015|work=NDTV Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205074242/http://sports.ndtv.com/swimming/news/236005-prime-minister-narendra-modi-congratulates-record-breaking-swimmer-bhakti-sharma|archive-date=5 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="The Hindu Article">{{cite news|title=The Hindu Article|newspaper=The Hindu|date=January 2013|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/bhakti-sharma-conquers-the-seven-seas/article4260550.ece|accessdate=16 January 2015}}</ref>

Sharma's swimming career in just a little over 10 years is commendable and some major milestones include :
* 2006: Crossed the [[English Channel]] in 13 hours 55 minutes on 6 July at the age of 16 from Shakespeare Beach, Dover England to [[Calais]], France <ref name = "The Hindu Article"/>
* 2006: Winning the [[Lake Zurich Swim]]<ref name = "The Hindu Article"/><ref name="SCR">{{cite web|title=Lake Zurich Swim Results 2006|url=http://ch.srichinmoyraces.org/files/ch/Rangliste-06.pdf|accessdate=8 February 2015}}</ref>
* 2007: Swam 25 km in [[Gulf of Mexico]] as a part of 2007 U.S.A Swimming Open Water Championships in Fort Myers Beach, Florida.<ref name="Gulf of Mexico Swim">{{cite news|title=Bhakti Sharma: Conquers the seven seas|newspaper=The Hindu|date=January 2013|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/bhakti-sharma-conquers-the-seven-seas/article4260550.ece|accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref>
* 2007: Completed the Swim around the Rock (Alcatraz), a race of 6.5 km in the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="Around the Alcatraz Rock">{{cite news|title=Swimming against the tide|newspaper=The Hindu|date=28 June 2012|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/swimming-against-the-tide/article3581038.ece|accessdate=7 July 2015|last1=M|first1=Athira}}</ref>
* 2007: Won a Gold Medal in Marathon swim around the Key West Island, Atlantic Ocean that made here the first Asian swimmer to participate in three major American swimming events.<ref name="Marathon Swim at Key West Island">{{cite web|title=Swim to educate with Bhakti Sharma|url=http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2014/09/swim-to-educate-with-bhakti-sharma.html|accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref>
* 2007: Crossed the Strait Of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea at Tarifa, Spain, considered as one of the most challenging sea courses, in 5 hours and 13 minutes.<ref name="Swim in Strait Of Gibraltar">{{cite web|title=First Woman to swim in four oceans|url=http://www.limcabookofrecords.in/recordDetail.aspx?rid=285|accessdate=7 July 2015}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* 2010: Successfully swam a distance of 1.8 km in 33 minutes in the [[Arctic Ocean]], and in the process became the second and youngest swimmer in the World to swim in 4 oceans.<ref name="Swim in Arctic Ocean">{{cite web|title=Bhakti Sharma: The open water swimmer who conquered five oceans|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-bhakti-sharma-the-open-water-swimmer-who-conquered-five-oceans-2108353|accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref>

National Swims

* 2004: Successfully swam a distance of 36 km from Dharamtal to [[Gateway of India]], Indian Ocean in 9 hours and 30 minutes.<ref name="Swim in Mumbai">{{cite web|title=The Water Girl Of India: Bhakti Sharma Sets The World Record In Antarctic Ocean|url=http://theviewspaper.net/the-water-girl-of-india-bhakti-sharma-sets-the-world-record-in-antarctic-ocean/|accessdate=7 July 2015|archive-date=25 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225054051/http://theviewspaper.net/the-water-girl-of-india-bhakti-sharma-sets-the-world-record-in-antarctic-ocean/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2008: Created an Indian record along with her mother Leena Sharma and friend Priyanka Gehlot by covering a distance of 72 km in 16 Hours, 58 minutes from Dharamtal to Gateway of India, Mumbai, and back.<ref name="Relay Swim in Mumbai">{{cite web|title=Bhakti Sharma - Profile|url=http://www.indiaspeakersbureau.in/BhaktiSharma-profile.html|accessdate=7 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627020704/http://indiaspeakersbureau.in/BhaktiSharma-profile.html|archive-date=27 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Recent record==
On January 10, 2015, Sharma became the youngest in the world and first Asian girl to swim in the freezing water of Antarctica for 2.25 km,<ref name="Swimming in Antarctica">{{cite web|title=World Record in Antarctica Ocean|url=http://udaipurtimes.com/bhakti-sharma-sets-world-record-antarctica-ocean|accessdate=15 January 2015|archive-date=25 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225054115/http://udaipurtimes.com/bhakti-sharma-sets-world-record-antarctica-ocean/|url-status=dead}}</ref> beating the record of British open water swimming champion [[Lewis Pugh]] and American swimmer [[Lynne Cox]]. Sharma swam for 41.14 minutes, covering 2.25 km distance in the freezing waters of Antarctica while the temperature was only one degree celsius.<ref name = "Swimming in Antarctica"/> She performed the record-breaking swim with the sponsorship of [[Hindustan Zinc Limited]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Indian swimmer Bhakti Sharma sets world record in Antarctic Ocean|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-indian-swimmer-bhakti-sharma-sets-world-record-in-antarctic-ocean-2052637|accessdate=5 February 2015}}</ref>

==Motivational Speaking==
Sharma is also a motivational speaker; she has been invited to speak about her experiences at various national and international speaker platforms. Some of the well-documented speaker opportunities include
* Bhakti Sharma at IIT Kanpur - "Lessons learnt from the seven seas" {{YouTube| iK_bk-EJk1M | "Bhakti Sharma at IIT Kanpur" }}
* Fighting against odds: Bhakti Sharma at TEDxNMIMS {{YouTube| qdYZ9J2PJEM | "Bhakti Sharma at TEDxNMIMS" }}
* From desert to Antarctica - a swimmer's journey and lessons learnt | Bhakti Sharma | TEDxIIMUdaipur {{YouTube| g9B-3koxtbY | "Bhakti Sharma at TEDxIIMUdaipur" }}
* TEDxSIBMBangalore - Ms. Bhakti Sharma "Pride of India" - Challenging The Conventional {{YouTube| KMUxvxOzjFk | "Bhakti Sharma at TEDxSIBMBangalore" }}
* Bhakti Sharma delivers a talk at Vodafone Zonathon {{YouTube| qCuvwRhuS48 | "Bhakti Sharma at Vodafone Zonathon" }}
* Bhakti Sharma at Shakti Sundays, Udaipur {{YouTube| vgfFPjNPtjo | "Bhakti Sharma at Shakti Sundays, Udaipur" }}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Bhakti}}
[[Category:1989 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female swimmers]]
[[Category:Articles created or expanded during Women's History Month (India) - 2015]]
[[Category:Swimmers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Female long-distance swimmers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Udaipur]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]]

Bhakti Sharma - Revision history

UpdateBot at 20:05, 27 January 2022