Mihir Sen

Mihir Sen (16 November 1930 – 11 June 1997) was a famous long distance swimmer, best known for being the first Indian to conquer the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 1958 and the only man to earn the distinction of swimming the Oceans of the five continents in one calendar year (1966). This included the Palk Strait, Dardanelles, Bosphorpous, The straits of Gibraltar and the entire length of the Panama Canal.

Early life

Mihir Sen was born on November 16, 1930, in Purulia, West Bengal to physician Dr. Ramesh Sengupta and his wife, Lilabati, who were Bengali Brahmins from a poor middle class community. Largely due to the efforts of his mother Lilabati, the Sens moved to Cuttack when Mihir was eight, as Cuttack had better schools.

Caught in the grip of poverty, nonetheless Mihir would go on to graduate with a degree in law from the local Utkal University. He wanted to travel to England to prepare himself for the bar but was constrained by lack of funds and due to the initial lack of support from the then chief minister of Orissa. Nonetheless, in 1950, he managed to board a ship heading for England with the chief minister Biju Patnaik's help. He was given a suitcase, a princely sum of £10 and a one-way third class ticket.