Many of you will know Prisha in Year 12 and her accolades gained as a long distance swimmer. Last year she was presented with the Jamie Rugg Memorial Cup at the Annual Prize Giving Evening in July and is pictured here holding the impressive trophy as well as her own individual replica, kindly donated every year to the winning student by John Rugg, Jamie’s father.

Last week Prisha’s outstanding achievements continued and saw her swim the English Channel at the age of only 16 years old. This made her the youngest and first 16 year old British Indian to ever complete the English Channel Solo.

To swim the channel you swim from Dover to Cap Gris Nez in France and it’s around 40+ km. The  swim took her 11 hours 48 minutes and, in doing so, she became the youngest and fastest swimmer of 2024. She was lucky enough to have good weather but did come across a few jelly stings but still kept going. Prisha has been training for this event for four years, since 2020 – but for her this is just the beginning. She told me “In the future I wish to attempt 24 hour swims and will be taking on some of the world’s most difficult, longest, coldest swims. And maybe even the Olympics in 2028!”

Swimming the English Channel is a daunting challenge, demanding not only physical endurance but also immense mental strength. Prisha’s journey to this point has been marked by countless hours of rigorous training, unwavering focus, and sheer determination. The fact that she has achieved this milestone at such a young age is a testament to her exceptional character and the support she has received from the school community.

Her family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all the teachers and staff members who have played a role in Prisha’s development, both academically and in her extracurricular endeavours. They recognise that our encouragement and guidance have undoubtedly contributed to her success.

Prisha’s accomplishment is a moment of great pride for her family but also our entire school community. We all hope that her achievements will be an inspiration everyone connected to Bushey Meads.

We look forward to supporting Prisha in her future endeavours.

Prisha – BBC News

Prisha Tapre 2024 | Channel Swimming Association