Who Is Bartłomiej Kubkowski, The Swimmer Who Made Baltic Sea History? (WATCH)

Polish long-distance swimmer Bartłomiej Kubkowski has become the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland. He reached Dziwnów after swimming more than 160 km for around 55 hours without sleep or touching his support boat.

Polish Swimmer Who Made Baltic Sea History

Bartłomiej Kubkowski has achieved a feat that had never been completed before. The Polish long-distance swimmer has become the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland, completing a journey of more than 160 km after around 55 hours in the water.

Kubkowski reached the beach in Dziwnów, Poland, shortly before 8 pm on Sunday, August 2. He had been swimming continuously, without sleeping and without touching the support boat that followed him for safety.

His achievement came after years of failed attempts and months of preparation. It was his fifth attempt to complete the crossing.

Who is Bartłomiej Kubkowski?

Kubkowski is a Polish long-distance swimmer and the creator of the Ultra Baltic Swim project. He has spent several years trying to complete the difficult Baltic Sea crossing and has built a reputation for taking on extreme open-water challenges.

He is also a world record holder in 24-hour swimming and has won medals at Polish and world competitions, according to the Ultra Baltic Swim project.

The Baltic crossing became his biggest goal. He wanted to swim from Kåseberga on the Swedish coast to the Polish coast without sleeping, resting or using the support boat to help him move through the water.

For Kubkowski, the 2026 attempt was not simply another race. His own project describes it as his fifth and final attempt to complete the crossing.

A journey that took around 55 hours

Kubkowski entered the water in Sweden and began the long journey towards Poland.

For more than two days, he continued swimming without sleep. A support team travelled alongside him, but he was not allowed to touch the boat during the crossing.

His team was responsible for navigation, food and safety. Food and drinks were given to him while he remained in the water.

The challenge was made even harder by the effects of extreme tiredness. Reports said Kubkowski experienced hallucinations after spending two nights without sleep. His team had prepared him for the mental strain as well as the physical demands of the crossing.

🚨Polish ultra-swimmer Bartłomiej Kubkowski made history by becoming the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland, covering over 160 km in nearly 56 hours without sleep or touching his support boat pic.twitter.com/Pd1Ugq0npy

— The Tatva (@thetatvaindia) August 3, 2026

Eventually, after swimming more than 160 km, he reached Dziwnów.

People waiting on the beach celebrated as he came out of the water. The achievement marked the end of a challenge that had taken years to complete.

Why swimming across the Baltic Sea is so difficult

The Baltic Sea may not look as threatening as some of the world's more famous oceans, but crossing it by swimming is an enormous challenge.

The route between Sweden and Poland stretches for roughly 160 to 170 km, depending on the course taken. A swimmer is exposed to changing weather, cold water, waves and strong currents for many hours.

Unlike a normal long-distance swimming event, there is no chance to stop and rest on land during the journey.

Kubkowski also had to follow strict rules. He could not sleep and could not use the support boat for physical assistance. Every kilometre had to be covered by his own swimming effort.

His team could help with food, navigation and safety, but the swimmer had to keep moving through the water.

That made the challenge as much a test of mental strength as physical fitness.

His first attempts ended before the finish

Kubkowski's historic achievement did not happen on his first try.

He had been attempting the Baltic crossing for several years, according to ProtoThema report. His earlier efforts showed just how difficult the challenge was.

In 2022, he covered more than 100 km before being forced to stop because of worsening weather and strong currents.

In 2023, he again attempted the crossing and managed around 130 km after about 40 hours in the water before abandoning the effort.

His fourth attempt in 2025 came remarkably close to success.

Kubkowski swam for around 55 hours and covered about 159 km. He was only 11 km from the planned finish when his team decided that the attempt had to end. He was taken from the water because of exhaustion.

Despite failing to finish, the 2025 attempt became the longest distance anyone had covered while attempting the Baltic crossing.

That experience became an important part of his preparation for 2026.

Fifth attempt finally brings success

Kubkowski returned for what he described as his fifth and final attempt.

This time, he was able to use everything he had learnt from the previous challenges.

His preparation involved physical training, long swims, night sessions, nutrition planning and mental preparation. His support team also included specialists working on his fitness, diet, recovery and mental performance.

The final journey lasted more than two days.

He kept swimming through the night and continued despite the effects of exhaustion. After more than 160 km, he finally reached the Polish coast at Dziwnów.

With that, he completed a crossing that no other swimmer had managed before.

The charity cause behind his challenge

Kubkowski's Baltic Sea project also had a charitable purpose.

He dedicated the challenge to the Cancer Fighters Foundation, which supports children and young people battling cancer.

The Ultra Baltic Swim project has been linked to fundraising campaigns for the foundation during his previous attempts as well. In 2025, his unsuccessful attempt still helped raise money for the charity.

For the swimmer, the cause gave the difficult challenge another purpose.

Instead of being only a personal record attempt, the project was also meant to draw attention to children fighting serious illnesses and encourage people to support them.

Why his 2026 achievement is significantly different

Kubkowski had already become known for his endurance before finally completing the Baltic crossing.

His previous attempts had shown that simply being able to swim for many hours was not enough. The weather, currents, cold water and exhaustion could all end the challenge even when the swimmer was close to the finish.

In 2025, he was just 11 km away.

One year later, he went those final kilometres and reached the shore.

The achievement therefore represents not only a record but also the result of several years of trying, learning and returning to the water.

His latest crossing also gives meaning to the name of his project, Ultra Baltic Swim, which he created around his long-term effort to swim across the Baltic Sea.

A record built over years

Kubkowski's story is less about one swim than about persistence.

He tried the crossing in different years, faced bad weather and powerful currents, came close to finishing and still returned for another attempt.

The 2025 attempt could easily have been the end of the journey. After 159 km and 55 hours in the water, he had been forced to stop just 11 km from the finish.

Instead, he came back in 2026.

This time, he completed more than 160 km and walked out on the beach at Dziwnów as the first person to achieve the full Baltic Sea crossing between Sweden and Poland.

For Kubkowski, it was the end of a five-attempt journey. For long-distance swimming, it was a new milestone.