Shreyas Hosur now sets his sight on IRONMAN 70.3 Goa after conquering grueling Manhattan 20 Bridges Swim

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 18 : After completing the Manhattan 20 Bridges Swim, considered one of the toughest swim challenges in the world, covering 48.5 kms around the city of Manhattan, 37-year-old IAS officer Shreyas Hosur has now set his sights on completing the Ironman 70.3 Goa to be held in Panaji next month.
He will be participating in the event along with his wife, Divya Hosur, also an IAS officer from the 2012 batch stationed in Bengaluru as a Defence Estate officer. The husband-wife duo will be vying to become the first bureaucrat couple to complete the grueling race which involves 1.9km swim, 90kms cycling and 21.1kms running, as per a release from Ironman 70.3.
Shreyas, who is posted as Head of Finance, Bengaluru Division, South Western Railways, became the first-ever bureaucrat to complete the Manhattan 20 Bridges Swim last month, where he took 9 hours 12 minutes to complete the incredibly challenging 48.5 kms swim circumnavigating the island city of Manhattan.
To complete this swim, known as one of the toughest open-water marathon swims in the world, he battled powerful currents, shifting tides, choppy water and even gained nearly 10 kilos to increase his fat percentage that would help him stay warm in the freezing water conditions.
"I think, more than the swim, it was the training that was challenging. It involved a lot of sacrifices, especially spending time with family or having a social life, as I would wake up at 3 am to go train and then go to work, return at 8 pm and sleep by 9:30 pm. It was a different kind of disciplined lifestyle, and it was all worthwhile," expressed Shreyas.
"To be able to swim 8-9 hours, I had to rigorously train for 7-8 months and apart from long-distance swim workouts, I had to focus on strength and conditioning as well. I also had to gain some weight to help sustain long hours in the cold waters of Manhattan," Shreyas explained.
Shreyas is not new to endurance challenges. In 2022, he became the first officer from the non-uniformed Civil Services to complete the full-distance Ironman in Hamburg, Germany --one of the toughest endurance races in the world--comprising a 3.8 km swim, 180 km of cycling, and a 42.2 km full marathon run. In 2023, he completed the 10km Oceanman Swim in Kazakhstan.
After these races, it was a natural progression for Shreyas to pursue another challenge and when he came across the 20 Bridges Swim, he thought - "why not?" and he was egged on by former international swimmer and Vice President of Swimming Federation of India Satish Kumar. "Satish was my guide and coach. He kept reminding me that I had it in me to complete it, and this confidence from him was very encouraging," expressed Shreyas.
Divya was part of his crew when he participated in the swim. At the finish line, his parents awaited him with bated breath and the finisher's medal. Shreyas's father is a police officer, IPS Gopal Hosur, a two-time recipient of the President's Police Medal for Gallantry.
"It was extremely special to have both my parents at the finish line in Manhattan. My father is someone I have always looked up to in my life and to see him proud of what I had achieved was immense. I feel many officials in government service are now coming back into sport as it gives you a challenge for the mind and body. Civil servants would have been good athletes in their earlier years, but challenges of work take over. But now with so many events coming to India, and fitness revolution has been growing among officers too, it great to set a life goal and work towards it," he said.
Speaking of his next challenge, Shreyas said, "The IRONMAN 70.3 Goa is a special race for me, mainly because it is happening in India, giving many of us an opportunity to race here. For Divya and I, we have always pushed eachother to do better whether it is as batchmates, colleagues, or as husband and wife. We wanted to set a benchmark by participating in IRONMAN 70.3 Goa together."
Deepak Raj, Founder of Yoska and Country Head IRONMAN India weighed in saying, "Shreyas has already proven his endurance at some of the world's toughest races, and to see him bring that same spirit back home to Goa is incredibly inspiring. Having both Shreyas and Divya at the start line together is a powerful message, that with discipline, passion, and the right mindset, it is possible to balance demanding careers with extraordinary athletic goals. They are role models not just for athletes, but for every professional who wants to push their limits."
Shreyas's grit and determination is an inspiration to many, particularly youngsters who struggle to strike a balance with professional life, personal life and their physical fitness.