Becky Horsbrugh, a British journalist and swimming instructor, today crossed the 16-kilometer Bangla Channel aimed at raising awareness as well as a fund for preventing child drowning in Bangladesh.
“I am very proud to be the first British citizen to cross the Bangla Channel,” Becky told BSS while expressing her reaction immediately after finishing her voyage.
She started the swim at 9:20 am from Teknaf and touched the shore of Saint Martins through 4 hours and 45 minutes swimming in the Bay of Bengal.
Terming it as a great success, the journalist-cum-swimming instructor said: “I am so happy that my swim has raised awareness of the issue of child drowning in Bangladesh and I have also made people aware of the great work being done by the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research on this issue.”
“This is my biggest ever achievement and I am happy as it happened in Bangladesh because I have great affection for the country and its people,” said Becky Horsbrugh, an Associated Press (AP) journalist.
Becky is scheduled to start the swim at 08:30 am this morning, but it delayed due to necessary checkup. The 16-km channel between Teknaf and Saint Martins Island is called Bangla Channel.
Some 50 children die every day in Bangladesh in drowning which astonished Becky as the figure is only 15 annually in the United Kingdom that is why she decided to raise awareness over the issue.
Legendary Bangladeshi swimmer Brojen Das was the first Asian to swim the English Channel in 1958, but no British citizen has crossed the Bangla Channel until Becky made it happen.
Speaking to the media in Dhaka earlier about the swim. Lots of interest! pic.twitter.com/WiZgqfBJnA — Becky Horsbrugh (@BeckyRLH) January 25, 2018
Speaking to the media in Dhaka earlier about the swim. Lots of interest! pic.twitter.com/WiZgqfBJnA
— Becky Horsbrugh (@BeckyRLH) January 25, 2018
“If I become successful in swimming the Bangla Channel, I will make it familiar in UK,” said Becky earlier at a press meet.
She also shared her experience about her first visit to Bangladesh last year and why she got interested to revisit and take up such a challenge on raising fund for the CIPRB.
