Siblings Arbin and Larissa determined to cross the Bangla Channel

While 10-year old Syeda Larissa Roseanne swam across 8 kilometres (km) of the 16.1 km Bangla Channel in the Fortune Bangla Channel Swimming competition in December 2021 in four and a half hours, her brother, 15-year-old Syed Arbin Ayaan, conquered 9 km of the Channel in the same time span.

They participated in the competition along with their father, Syed Akhteruzzamam.

Larissa and Arbin first started swimming in 2017 under the mentorship of noted swimmer Fazlul Kabir Sina, also a coach at Gulshan Youth Club. 

The siblings had a long break from swimming from 2017 to 2021. However, after getting vaccinated, they resumed their training under their father, also a swimming instructor, who rented various pools around Dhaka for their practice.

"For the Fortune Bangla Channel Swimming competition, we were trained to eat food while floating in the water. 40 flags were stretched across the Bangla Channel for our navigation," adds Arbin.

Boats were stationed after every 300 metres to help navigate and provide the swimmers with food and clean water at regular intervals.

"I had no fears while swimming because my father and brother were swimming with me and my mother was cheering for us from the boats," shares Larissa.

However, Arbin vomited while swimming, and as a result, felt exhausted. "Naturally, I fell behind the group. But I fought on. We gave up because of the high tides," he adds.

The weather got dangerous for the young swimmers. As a result, the rescue team pushed them to stop. Although they did not successfully cross the Bangla Channel, their parents are immensely proud of them. 

Arbin and Larissa inherited their father's dream of crossing the Bangla Channel.

They have not given up just yet, and are preparing for the Bangla Channel Swimming Marathon, to be held this March.

The author is a freelance journalist.

Email: akhlakurrahmancharles@gmail.com.