Polish Swimmer Defies Exhaustion to Complete First Sweden-to-Poland Baltic Crossing

Polish endurance swimmer Bartłomiej Kubkowski has become the first person in the world to complete a nonstop swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland. According to RMF24, the athlete covered the 160-kilometer route in approximately 55 hours without sleeping or touching the accompanying support boat.

The remarkable achievement also served as a charity campaign, raising hundreds of thousands of złoty for cancer patients.

A 55-Hour Test of Endurance

Kubkowski completed the grueling 160-kilometer swim over the course of roughly 55 hours. Throughout the journey, he never made physical contact with the support vessel, complying with the rules for marathon open-water swimming.

His support team fed him through a specially designed tube while he remained in the water. During the second day of the crossing, Kubkowski reportedly lost consciousness several times but recovered and continued swimming toward the Polish coast.

Record Swim Supports Cancer Charity

The historic crossing was dedicated to supporting the Cancer Fighters Foundation. The campaign raised approximately 600,000 Polish złoty-about $160,000-to help fund the organization's work.

Kubkowski succeeded on his fifth attempt. During his previous effort in 2025, he came within just 11 kilometers of the Polish shoreline before losing consciousness, forcing organizers to end the swim.

Before Kubkowski's achievement, another Polish endurance swimmer, Sebastian Karaś, had completed a shorter Baltic Sea crossing. In 2017, Karaś swam 100 kilometers between Poland and Denmark in 28.5 hours.