Esha Mehta, a 23-year old student was a part of the LMAX Exchange team that emerged as overall winners of the Clipper Round the World 2015-16 Yacht Race, the longest sailing race in the world for amateurs. Esha is the daughter of Sonali and Chetan Prabodh Mehta from Antwerp.

There were 12 teams participating in the race which comprised eight legs covering 40,000 nautical miles across the Americas, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe. Esha’s team saw 58 crew members taking part in different stages, of which eight, including Esha were ‘round the worlders’ staying on the yacht for an entire year.

Esha will be joining King’s College in UK for her Master’s in Forensic Science this year. She decided to take a break from her studies after completing her degree in Biomedical Science University of Reading, UK, last year and decided to take part in the challenge, inspired by a friend who had sailed in the 2013-14 race. Her love for the water, and the fact that she would be able to see the world, helped Esha take the final decision.

From a young age, Esha has participated in sports, particularly water events. She attended various camps for surfing and swimming, holds an advanced diver license from PADI and is also a qualified lifeguard.  As a preparation for the race she undertook a gruelling 4-week training comprising sailing skills, teamwork, boat safety and navigation techniques.

Speaking to the King’s College online magazine, Esha said, “I did the race to challenge myself but it was far beyond what I expected. As a team, we have weathered mental, physical and emotional challenges, and never felt so vulnerable yet alive as we did during storms. I have had to push myself harder than ever, but I've found strength in my weakest moments and lived an adventure worth a thousand stories.”