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Bringing laurels: Jabee becomes first AMU student to swim across the English Channel
Afrin Jabee, a B.P.Ed. student at AMU, made history as the first to swim across the English Channel, completing the 34-km feat in 13 hours.
Afrin Jabee, a B.P.Ed. student at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), became the first-ever student of the university to successfully swim across the English Channel, said Prof Vibha Sharma, member in-charge of AMU’s public relations office on Saturday.
“On July 29, 2025, Afrin braved the frigid waters at 11°C and fierce currents to complete the solo one-way swim from Dover (UK) to Cap Gris-Nez (France) at a stretch of 34-kilometre in 13 hours and 13 minutes, beginning at 3:45 AM London time. This remarkable feat places her in the elite ranks of international endurance swimmers and brings immense pride to AMU, her home state West Bengal, and India at large,” Sharma added.
Flanked by her brother Adil Mohmmad (a PhD scholar in AMU’s chemistry department) and her sister-in-law Rizwana Yasmeen (a gold medallist in nanotechnology at AMU), 21-year-old Afreen, holding the Indian Tricolour, said while speaking to AMU officials on Saturday, “I am happy to have brought joy to my nation, university and family, who always support me in pursuing my dreams.”
AMU vice chancellor Prof Naima Khatoon hailed her achievement as a moment of “collective celebration and pride”. She said: “Afrin’s extraordinary spirit will inspire generations of AMU students. She has initiated a journey that will be taken up by many more talented students.”
Prof Ikram Husain, dean, faculty of social sciences and the chairperson, department of physical education congratulated Afrin for her remarkable achievement and expressed hope that her education at AMU will ensure many more such laurels in her life.
Omar Peerzada, the spokesperson for AMU, said Afrin and her brother are still in the UK and they will be back to Aligarh soon. She congratulated them over the phone and conveyed the best wishes on behalf of the university fraternity.
Coming from a humble background in Paschim Medinipur, Afrin’s journey is a stirring testament to perseverance, discipline, and unyielding ambition. She had represented Vidyasagar University three times at the All-India Inter-University Aquatic Championships, competed twice for West Bengal at the national level and conquered demanding long-distance swims spanning 13-km, 21-km, and 24- km. Her most remarkable pre-AMU achievement was securing 2nd position among girls in the world’s longest swimming event—an 81-km marathon in the Ganga.
