Arati Gupta née Saha (24 September 1940 -- 23 August 1994) was an Indian long distance swimmer. Born in Calcutta, West Bengal, British India, Arati was initiated in swimming at the early age of four, and her talent was spotted by Sachin Nag. She was inspired by Indian swimmer Mihir Sen to try to cross the English Channel. In 1959 she became the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel. In 1960, she became the first Indian female sportsperson to be awarded Padma Shri.
who was the first female sportsperson to be awarded padma shri
Arati Gupta née Saha