SLAF SWIMMER WILL ATTEMPT TO COMPLETE WORLD RECORD SWIM ACROSS PALK STRAIT
9:08pm on Friday 9th April 2021
Leading Aircraftman Roshan Abeysundara, a promising swimming start from the SLAF will be attempting to create a world record starting early tomorrow morning (10 April 2021). In line with his special effort, Leading Aircraftman Abeysundara called on the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana today (09 April 2021) before departing for Mannar to embark on his record-breaking mission. The Commander gave the brave and daring Airman words of encouragement and also presented him with a thermal swimming kit which would assist heavily during the record-breaking attempt.
During his preparation for tomorrow’s event, Leading Aircraftman Roshan Abeysundara renewed the National open water swimming record twice within a short time period. He created a new record by swimming a 25Km distance from Matara to Koggala on January 3, 2021 clocking a time of 10 hours and 37 minutes and went on to renew the record by swimming a distance of 49Km from Matara to Hikkaduwa and back to Unawatuna on 27 February 2021 with a timing of 23 hours and 10 minutes.
Leading Aircraftman Abeysundara is a Level III swimming instructor affiliated to American Swimming Coaches Association and has undergone training from the legendary Julian Bolling. He is an experienced life guard who has obtained the Level II standard from Sri Lanka Life Saving.
Born 1989 in the Southern coastal city of Talalla, Leading Aircraftman Abeysundara is a born swimmer whose forte being open water swimming. He entered competitive swimming as a schoolboy at the Matara Central College
His passion for swimming has led him on the path of entering the Guinness World Record Book as he swims to renew V.S. Kumar Anandan's 50-year-old record which was set in 1971 by swimming the Palk Strait in 51 hours. Roshan will swim from Mannar to Danuskodi, Rameshwaran in India and back, covering a distance of 59.3 Kms.
During his preparation for tomorrow’s event, Leading Aircraftman Roshan Abeysundara renewed the National open water swimming record twice within a short time period. He created a new record by swimming a 25Km distance from Matara to Koggala on January 3, 2021 clocking a time of 10 hours and 37 minutes and went on to renew the record by swimming a distance of 49Km from Matara to Hikkaduwa and back to Unawatuna on 27 February 2021 with a timing of 23 hours and 10 minutes.
Leading Aircraftman Abeysundara is a Level III swimming instructor affiliated to American Swimming Coaches Association and has undergone training from the legendary Julian Bolling. He is an experienced life guard who has obtained the Level II standard from Sri Lanka Life Saving.
Born 1989 in the Southern coastal city of Talalla, Leading Aircraftman Abeysundara is a born swimmer whose forte being open water swimming. He entered competitive swimming as a schoolboy at the Matara Central College
His passion for swimming has led him on the path of entering the Guinness World Record Book as he swims to renew V.S. Kumar Anandan's 50-year-old record which was set in 1971 by swimming the Palk Strait in 51 hours. Roshan will swim from Mannar to Danuskodi, Rameshwaran in India and back, covering a distance of 59.3 Kms.
