Milind Soman shares wife Ankita swam across the English Channel (Photo: Milind Soman/Instagram)Milind Soman praises his wife Ankita Konwar’s first swim across the English Channel. Soman, who himself completed a gruelling 15-kilometre swim across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in May 2026, expressed in a note, “You did it !!! Another amazingly beautiful experience. And first Assamese woman to cross the English Channel as part of a relay team, I can guess what’s next ?? The sea was super cold and rough yesterday, but you swam so strong, so so so proud of you, my sweetheart! Couldn’t have imagined this three years ago when you were learning how to swim in a 20mt pool. So inspiring!”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.What makes Ankita’s achievement so extraordinary is that she reportedly started learning how to swim only three years ago. For someone to go from learning a basic life skill to taking on one of the most challenging open-water swims in the world is not ordinary. It reflects discipline at a level that goes far beyond regular fitness, noted consultant dietitian and fitness expert Garima Goyal.Swimming across the English Channel that separates Southern England from northern France is not like swimming in a pool. “It demands endurance, cold-water tolerance, strong breathing control, shoulder strength, core stability, mental resilience, and the ability to keep going even when the body is tired. Open-water swimming also comes with unpredictable conditions such as waves, currents, low temperatures, and long hours of physical exertion. This is why Ankita’s journey is so inspiring,” shared Goyal. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning)She did not grow up as someone who had been swimming since childhood; she built the skill, trained the body, and developed the confidence step by step. “From a health and nutrition angle, endurance achievements like this require much more than willpower. The body needs proper fuel, hydration, electrolytes, muscle recovery, sleep, and consistent training adaptation. Long-distance swimming uses the shoulders, back, arms, core, glutes, and legs continuously, while also placing a huge demand on cardiovascular endurance,” Goyal said.To support this kind of training, the diet must provide enough carbohydrates for energy, adequate protein for muscle repair, healthy fats for sustained fuel, and micronutrients such as iron, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats to support stamina and recovery.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.