Karteek Completes 10 Channel Crossings

Karteek Clarke, a member of the Edinburgh Sri Chinmoy Centre, completed his 10th successful crossing of the English Channel this August 13th. After facing difficult weather conditions, which left him feeling seasick and tired, Karteek completed the epic crossing in a time of 16 hours 59 minutes.

Karteek Looking across the Channel before his crossing

Karteek completed his first successful channel swim in 1997. Since that year, despite the many challenges of channel swimming, he has been repeatedly drawn back to try another channel crossing. He joins an elite group of people who have managed more than one crossing. In total, only around 1,000 people have successfully swum the English Channel - compared to around 4,000 people who have climbed Mount Everest.

Interviewed by the Scotsman, Karteek said his practice of yoga and meditation, under the tutelage of his teacher Sri Chinmoy, helped give the inner strength necessary for such a difficult endeavour.

"...I keep going back to hone my meditation skills as our Sri Chinmoy teacher encourages us to undertake these tasks to promote self-discipline. Like most brands of yoga, the aim is to silence the restless mind and purge it of negative thoughts. After about six hours in the water, you're cold, wet and miserable, but it starts to become quite exhilarating..."

• Channel Swimming Page at Sri Chinmoy Races
• Article at Edinburg Evening News