Rupali Repale Explained

Rupali Repale
Nationality:	Indian
Birth Place:	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Birth Date:	1982 2, df=yes
Honorific Prefix:	Sagar Kanya^[1]
Relations:	Vishal Hinge (Spouse), Swaraj Hinge (Son), Hindavi Hinge (daughter)

Rupali Ramdas Repale (born 3 February 1982 in Mumbai), is an Indian open-water long-distance swimmer and triathlete. She swam the English Channel in the solo swim category on 15 August 1994 ^{[2] [3]} in a time span of 16 hours and 7 minutes, making her the youngest successful swimmer (12 years old) to cross the English Channel for the year 1994.^[4] She swam a total of seven straits during the course of her swimming career, Gibraltar Strait, Palk Strait, Bass Strait, Cook Strait,^[5] Robben Island Channel and Mumbai-Dharamtar Channel.^{[6] [7]}

Early life and background

Rupali Repale was born in Mumbai, the daughter of Ramdas Repale and Rekha Repale, who were small-scale business owners from a modest financial background. Born in rural Pune, both the parents moved to Mumbai city in 1970s shortly before their marriage and settled in Bhandup, a suburb of Mumbai. Rupali completed her schooling at Bright High School & Junior College Bhandup-(west) and went on to graduate with a degree in sociology from Mumbai University.^[8]
Rupali started swimming at an early age and soon developed a penchant for it. She showed remarkable stamina even at an early age and could swim for hours at a stretch. Noticed by her coaches and later backed by her father, she soon started training for long-distance events and later in the open waters. Apart from swimming, she also participates in Triathlon events and has achieved many accolades in it as well.^[9]

Swimming career

• 1994: English Channel, England to France, 34 kilometers in 16 hours and 7 minutes. Youngest Swimmer for the year 1994.^[10]
• 1994: Gibraltar Strait, Spain to Morocco, 28 kilometers in 5 hours and 5 minutes.^[11]
• 1995: Mumbai to Dharamtar two-way Gateway of India swim, 72 kilometers in 21 hours and 30 minutes.^[12]
• 1995: Sri Lanka to India, 40 kilometers in 11 hours and 5 minutes.
• 1996: Bass Strait, Phillip Bay to Melbourne, 65 kilometers in 17 hours, required swimming within the confines of a cage due to the shark-infested nature of the strait.
• 1998: Cook Strait, Pegano Head to Waipiro Bay (New Zealand), 80 kilometers in 19 hours 44 minutes, record for the longest successful swim in first attempt^[13]
• 2000: Three Anchor Bay to Robben Island (South Africa) two-way. 30 kilometers in 7 hrs.^[14]

Awards and honors

• National Youth Award awarded by then President of India late Hon. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Bhopal 1995.
• Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award awarded by then Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (India) Hon. Uma Bharti, New Delhi 1999.^[15]
• HIMA Foundation Award awarded by then Governor of Maharashtra late Hon. Dr. P C Alexander, Mumbai 1995.
• Sagar Kanya title conferred upon by the Government of Maharashtra.^[16]
• Dolphin Queen title conferred upon by the Government of New Zealand.

Present activities

Rupali is the founder and director of Rupali Industries,^[17] a water purification based home appliance company. In her spare time she likes to coach young talent at local swimming pools.

Books on Rupali

• Biographical book Jal Akramile (Marathi) written by Sumedh Vadavala and published by Rajhans Prakashans.^[18]
• Excerpt from Rupali's book is included in the Maharashtra state school curriculum to encourage youth involvement in sports.^[19]

External links

• Official Site
• Junnar Taluka

Notes and References

1. http://mcomments.outlookindia.com/story.aspx?sid=4&aid=205437{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
2. Web site: Rupali Ramdas Repale 1994 | Channel Swimming Association.
3. https://www.dover.uk.com/channel-swimming/swims/1994-08-15/rupali-ramdas-repale
4. Web site: CSA Awards | Channel Swimming Association.
5. Web site: Cook Strait Swim - History . 2015-11-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125301/http://www.cookstraitswim.org.nz/history-and-facts.php . 8 December 2015 . dmy-all .
6. http://www.thehindu.com/2000/03/25/stories/0725100c.htm
7. Web site: Water Nymph | Outlook India Magazine. 6 February 2022.
8. Web site: The Telegraph - Calcutta : Careergraph . 19 February 2016 . 3 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150703135918/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050504/asp/careergraph/story_4694804.asp . dead .
9. News: 'I win them all' | Pune News - Times of India. The Times of India. 8 April 2000 .
10. Web site: CSA Awards | Channel Swimming Association.
11. Web site: Cruce a Nado Ida Reglamentario . 2013-10-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131015073652/http://www.acneg.com/acneg%20ingles/One%20way.html . 15 October 2013 . dmy-all .
12. Web site: Competition Science Vision. Darpan. Pratiyogita. June 2000.
13. Web site: Cook Strait swimming record smashed. 31 January 2009.
14. Web site: Archived copy . 19 February 2016 . 6 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306122036/http://capeswim.com/#records . dead .
15. National Adventure Awards, Indira Gandhi NSS Awrads to be presented . Press Information Bureau, India. 18 September 2020. 4 June 1999.
16. http://mcomments.outlookindia.com/story.aspx?sid=4&aid=205437{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
17. Web site: Home . rupaliaqua.com.
18. Web site: Jal Akramile-जल आक्रमिले . 19 February 2016 . 10 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191010044746/http://marathiboli.com/jal-akramile . dead .
19. http://cart.ebalbharati.in/BalBooks/pdfs/701010001.pdf