Haresh Kathrotiya: adding the entry v1

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adding the entry v1

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{{short description|Indian academic and marathon swimmer}}
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| image = Meenakshi pahuja (cropped).jpg
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| caption = Meenakshi Pahuja receiving a 2018 [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1978}}
| birth_place = [[Delhi]], India
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'''Meenakshi Pahuja''' (born 1978) is an Indian lecturer and [[marathon swimming|marathon swimmer]]. After a successful career as a [[Swimming (sport)|competitive swimmer]], she became a teacher at [[Lady Shri Ram College]], and later entered [[open water swimming]]. She received a 2018 [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award.

== Early life ==
Meenakshi Pahuja was born in 1978<ref name="ToI" /> and grew up in [[Delhi]], the oldest of three children. Her father V. K. Pahuja taught swimming at the [[Modern School (New Delhi)|Modern School]].<ref name="TH020611">{{cite news |last1=Pritam |first1=Norris |title=Water woman! |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/Water-woman/article20252001.ece |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=2 June 2011 |language=en}}</ref> She first entered swimming competitions at the age of five and became a junior age group national champion in the 50 metres breaststroke before she turned nine.<ref name="TH020611" />

== Career ==

Representing India, Pahuja won a medal in the 400 metres Individual Medley at the 1996 Asia Pacific Age Group swimming championships in [[Pusan]], South Korea.<ref name="TH020611" /> She was a three-time champion at the national games.<ref name="TDG">{{cite news |last1=Goswami |first1=Neev |title=Swimming in India is a 'work in progress': Pahuja |url=https://thedailyguardian.com/swimming-in-india-is-a-work-in-progress-pahuja/ |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=The Daily Guardian |date=29 July 2020}}</ref> In 2001, she retired from swimming<ref name="TH020611" /> and became a lecturer in Physical Training at the [[Lady Shri Ram College]], part of the [[University of Delhi]].<ref name="ToI" />

In August 2006, Pahuja started [[marathon swimming]]. She participated in a 19-km event over the [[Hooghly River|Bhagirathi-Hooghly river]] in [[Murshidabad]], [[West Bengal]].<ref name="TH020611" /> She then travelled to Switzerland to compete in the 2007 [[Lake Zurich Swim|Lake Zürich Swim]] (26.4 km from [[Rapperswil]] to [[Zürich]] proper), where she was the fifth-place female finisher.<ref name="TH020611" /><ref name="DH" /> She was financially supported by her father and the Vice-Chancellor of [[Delhi University]], [[Deepak Pental]].<ref name="TH020611" />

Pahuja has tried twice to [[List of successful English Channel swimmers|swim the English Channel]]. Her first attempt was in 2008. One week before arriving in [[Dover]], she competed in an 81-km championship over the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River; although she dealt with "muddy water and river snakes", she finished in 12 hours and 27 minutes.<ref name="TH020611" /> However, as she was not experienced with ocean swimming, she struggled with the current in the channel and withdrew after 11 km due to seasickness.<ref name="DH">{{cite news |last1=Mishra |first1=Archana |title=She has a passion for swimming |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/426400/she-has-passion-swimming.html |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=Deccan Herald |date=19 August 2014 |language=en}}</ref> Pahuja made her second attempt in 2014, again starting from the English side. After she had swum 40 km in 14 hours and 19 minutes, she was forced to return due to changing tides. She was 3 km away from completion.<ref name="SCI">{{cite web |title=English Channel |url=https://indiaswimming.com/2020/06/14/english-channel/ |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=Swimming Coaching Institute}}</ref><ref name="CSA">{{cite web |title=Meenakshi Pahuja 2014 |url=https://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/swim/4260/meenakshi-pahuja |website=Channel Swimming Association |accessdate=18 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

Pahuja was the first Indian to swim around [[Key West]] in Florida and to complete the [[Lake Travis]] Solo in Texas.<ref name="DH" /> She also was the first Indian to complete the [[Tex Robertson]] Highland Lakes Challenge, where she swam five lakes in five days: [[Lake Buchanan (Texas)|Lake Buchanan]], [[Inks Lake]], [[Lake LBJ]], [[Lake Marble Falls]], and Lake Travis.<ref name="TDG" /> She is the second-fastest female finisher among the Indian participants in the [[Robben Island]]-[[Bloubergstrand]] course (7.4 km).<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Records Database|url=https://www.cldsa.co.za/records_data/skins|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 December 2020|website=Cape Long Distance Swimming Association}}</ref> She won a bronze medal in the 2012 [[Labuan]] Sea Cross race in Malaysia<ref name="DH" /> and finished third in the 2014 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York City.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fastest at Manhattan Island Swim (Woman)|url=https://www.coca-colaindia.com/stories/fastest-at-manhattan-island-swim--woman-|access-date=2021-01-12|website=The Coca-Cola Company|language=en-IN}}</ref> She is entered in the ''[[Limca Book of Records]]'' as the first Indian swimmer to cross [[Lake Constance]] in the [[Alps]].<ref name="ToI">{{cite news |last1=Ajmal |first1=Anam |title=Test your limits, marathon swimmer tells Bennett University students |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/test-your-limits-marathon-swimmer-tells-bennett-university-students/articleshow/78770463.cms |accessdate=18 November 2020 |work=The Times of India |date=20 October 2020}}</ref>

In an interview, Pahuja has listed four major challenges that open-water swimmers should be prepared to face: weather conditions, sea life, endurance, and mental tenacity.<ref name="TDG" /> She encountered a corpse in one of her river races at [[Murshidabad]], which she mistook for a competitor until it collided with a scout boat.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Goswami|first=Neev|date=30 July 2020|title="Want to see this whole world through water": Meenakshi Pahuja|url=https://www.newsx.com/sports/want-to-see-this-whole-world-through-water-meenakshi-pahuja.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2 January 2021|website=NewsX|language=en}}</ref>

Pahuja has spoken of the need to increase public and government support for Indian athletes,<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 September 2018|title=In conversation with Journalists|url=https://ccs.in/updates/conversation-with-journalists|access-date=2 January 2021|website=Centre For Civil Society|language=en}}</ref> especially female athletes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=7 July 2017|title=Panel Discussion at Session XI : Towards Gender Parity and Empowering Sports through Women|url=https://www.cii.in/VideoDetail.aspx?enc=vibtX7ue2YJFp+e6vZFe7uDw0LNukHjZ+bNXkAmx380=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2 January 2021|website=Confederation of Indian Industry}}</ref> She was a co-producer of the short film "Break The Taboo. Period".<ref name="WOWSA" /> She has also promoted improved school facilities for [[disabled]] children.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meenakshi Pahuja Seeks Better Sports Facilities for the Disabled at School Level – YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OlUjD7KXXQ|access-date=2 January 2021|website=www.youtube.com| date=9 January 2017 }}</ref>

Due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in India|COVID-19]] restrictions, many Indian swimmers faced restricted access to practice facilities. Pahuja increased her advocacy of the Indian swim community, writing news articles about athletes planning to participate in the upcoming [[2020 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] and arguing for increased access to facilities (maintaining distancing and sanitary guidelines).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Srinivasan|first=Kamesh|title=Indian swimming fraternity anxious to follow the world|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/swimming/swimming-coronavirus-pools-covid-19-sanitisation-chlorination/article31766813.ece|access-date=2 January 2021|website=Sportstar|date=6 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Meenakshi Pahuja, Author at The Daily Guardian|url=https://thedailyguardian.com/author/meenakshi-pahuja/|access-date=2 January 2021|website=The Daily Guardian|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Awards ==
Pahuja received a 2018 [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award (India's highest civilian award for women) from President [[Ram Nath Kovind]].<ref name="WOWSA">{{cite news|last=|first=|date=8 March 2020|title=Meenakshi Pahuja Honored For Her Achievements|work=WOWSA|url=https://openwaterswimming.com/meenakshi-pahuja-honored-for-her-contributions-and-achievements/|accessdate=18 November 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pahuja, Meenakshi}}
[[Category:Indian female swimmers]]
[[Category:Female long-distance swimmers]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Delhi University]]
[[Category:Educators from Delhi]]
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Manhattan Island swimmers]]
[[Category:English Channel swimmers]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018 winners]]

Meenakshi Pahuja - Revision history

Haresh Kathrotiya: adding the entry v1