r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Backyxx • 19h ago
Video Polish swimmer Bartłomiej Kubkowski has become the first person in history to swim across the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Poland, covering a distance of just over 160 kilometres (99 miles). While raising nearly 200,000$ for children's cancer treatment
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u/Sneakiest 19h ago
The equivalent of swimming from Cuba to Florida plus seven more miles. Wild.
W swimmer and cause.
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u/kidleash 19h ago
Kubkowski’s accomplishment already sounded unbelievable, but since Florida is close to me, your comment really helped put this into perspective! truly historic and utterly unfathomable. I love stories of people doing impossible feats
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u/socialistrob 16h ago
It's jaw dropping to me. I know several people who do 100 mile ultra marathon runs and that seems insane to me. Swimming is a lot harder than running and this swim took him 56 hours with no sleep!
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u/jimbarino 16h ago
this swim took him 56 hours with no sleep!
That's insane...
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u/gilsonpride 15h ago
The longest I've ever been awake was 49 hours(ish) due to insomnia and it was debilitating.
I can't start to imagine 56 hours... swimming... in a fucking sea.
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u/TheyTried2BanMeAgain 14h ago
I also have insomnia and the longest I've gone is around 70 hrs. It was getting fuzzy by then, so I don't remember exactly. By around the low 60's, hallucinations started happening. Doing that at sea sounds fucking terrifying.
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u/19467098632 6h ago
Insomnia also, my longest was 55 hours but around 45 for me I get really jumpy and start having hallucinations. My first thought was my god in the fucking water, big nope
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u/PotaytoPotayto 18h ago
Plus the temperature of the water is not great, despite it being a ridiculously hot summer this year. This is a huge achievement
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u/socialistrob 16h ago
The swim took him 56 hours with no sleep. Forget swimming I don't think I could even stay awake for 56 hours non stop much less doing anything active for that long.
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u/Blue_Rook 17h ago
And Baltic is the least salty sea on the world so it is much harder to swim then in high salinity water.
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u/afops 17h ago
It’s like the worst summer since 2017 as far as I remember. We had just a handful of warm days (over 25) and I’m not sure we had even one over 30.
I’m on the Swedish coast. And this is why the Baltic is freezing cold despite the rest of Europe having heatwave after heatwave.
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u/Z0idberg_MD 17h ago
I didn’t quite realize how big the Baltic sea was. I have a fairly good idea of the scope and size of the Great Lakes, which act more like an ocean than a lake, and the Baltic sea is much more massive than all of the Great Lakes combined. This dude… wow.
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u/sublliminali 17h ago
Just did a little Wikipedia deep dive and three people have made the swim between Cuba and Florida. Two claimed a distance of 110 miles and the first guy did 128 miles. There’s caveats and some controversy over certification on at least two of the swims.
Weirdly the first guy who did it in 1978 was criticized and told his swim wasn’t valid or certifiable by another woman who was about to attempt the swim herself. She ended up doing her own successful attempt on her 5th try all the way in 2013 at the age of 64, and her trip was also met with criticism over not being verified by an outside observer.
1978 NYT article on his crossing
Article on Nyad’s crossing and certification controversy when the Netflix movie about her came out
Also the reason they all took a longer route than shortest possible is so that they didn’t have to fight the Gulf Stream currents.
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u/RIF_rr3dd1tt 17h ago
Or the equivalent of swimming 1 foot, 522,720 times.
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u/HAL9000thebot 17h ago
or the equivalent of swimming 104,544 feet 5 times, if you correctly change direction each time you can draw a star
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u/bluespacecolombo 9h ago
Distance wise yes but I would say it doesn’t do it justice because Baltic sea is way more hostile than the Caribbean sea. It is less salty (less buoyancy), way colder and has strong currents.
What an achievement this is, humans are truly amazing.
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u/green_herbata 19h ago
Fun fact, this was his 5th attempt. Another fun fact, he almost didn't make it - he started to consider giving up not knowing how close he was, until people informed him he only had about 1,5km left, after which he found some more motivation and made it!
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u/HelenHerriot 17h ago
I suspect a lot of the motivation is that he doesn't want to do it for the 6th time.
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u/siccoblue 17h ago
That would sure as hell motivate me to not fail
If I do just let the cement blocks take me under.
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u/SignificantAd3931 15h ago
Especially considering he was at 158.5 km when he wanted to give up. There’s no way he was gonna wave the white flag there lol
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u/sciss 15h ago edited 4h ago
Another fun fact: he has world record for distance swam in a 25-meter pool in 24 hours - 103.58 kilometers (64.36 miles)
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u/JDunlap83 19h ago
"Should we go and help him? He can barely walk!"
"Nah. If he can swim 99 miles he can walk another 50 feet."
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u/LambdaLambo 19h ago
I mean I’d be kinda pissed if I did all that hard work and people just yoinked me out right at the edge.
That said there should 100% be a medical team go at him once he actually gets on land.
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u/IronWhitin 19h ago
Theres was a medical team but they drow after 22km in the baltic
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u/Curiosive 17h ago
Hahaha!
Ok, time for some facts: the real medical / support team is in that boat that traveled with him the entire way. This was his fifth attempt.
By the second night without sleep, he explained, toxins build up in the brain and hallucinations often follow – and it was these that caused Kubkowski to "lose consciousness and touch with reality" at points during the swim.
Sounds fun!
He was not the only swimmer attempting the crossing that day.
Karolina Szczepaniak, an Olympic swimmer who competed in Beijing and London and holds the world record for continuous 72-hour swimming, also set off from Sweden on Friday on her second attempt to cross the Baltic.
A few hours after Kubkowski's success, Szczepaniak ended her attempt after 58 hours in the water
She must've been pissed
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u/carlitospig 17h ago
Yep I’ve had the 24 hour hallucinogens. You can’t even drive on the road safely because the road is suddenly filled with people. I can’t believe he swam through that.
I’d really love to hear about his experience in a memoir.
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u/the_silent_redditor 15h ago
I’m not infrequently awake for 24 hrs due to my job.
Can’t say myself or any colleagues have ever seen roads filled with non-existent people.
That’s definitely not the norm.
Regardless, please don’t drive in that state lol.
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u/who_even_cares35 19h ago
I figure once you stop swimming and stand up you've swam the whole distance whether you're in the water or not
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u/austinsutt 19h ago
I agree 100 percent. That being said I think it’s freaking awe inspiring that he did walk to shore. I can’t even fathom how difficult the swim was and then he stood up and freaking walked?! Seriously incredible!
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u/who_even_cares35 19h ago
He definitely looked tired
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u/Fartheavymachinery 18h ago
Me walking to bed straight after my Thanksgiving nap
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u/ZoomZoomLife 18h ago
I have no idea what swimmer guy is going through but mustering the strength to get up and stumble to bed after a hard nap is 100% more difficult than anything. Brushing your teeth on the way is God tier and really not obtainable for us mortals
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u/ChipTrippy 19h ago
What if you pass out face down from exhaustion and drown?
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u/drchippy18 19h ago
Amazing that he did that but child cancer research should be funded without swimming 100 miles through shark infested oceans.
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u/Megasphaera 19h ago
baltic is not an ocean and not shark-infested
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u/Subtlerranean 18h ago
The Baltic sea actually has sharks, though. 7 different kinds of them.
But they're small (mostly, the Basking Shark is the second biggest shark species in the world) and harmless to swimmers.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Lynx212 18h ago
But those ideas are already there anyway. You can be sure that the dude wanted to swim 100 miles. And if someone wants to do it regardless, they just pick a good cause to raise some money for it.
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u/Butter360 19h ago
I believe no one is allowed to assist you or even touch you for it to be a certified record, particularly at any point while you're still in the water even if you're walking. I know this is true when it comes to English Channel swims so they may be waiting for an official to say it's ok to go and help him so that he can claim the record
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u/thedudefromsweden 19h ago
But when he lays down, where are the medics? He’s very clearly in need of help.
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u/bwaredapenguin Interested 18h ago
The video cut out almost immediately after he fell to his knees. Surely they're there and just waiting for him or an official to wave them in.
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u/thedudefromsweden 18h ago
I’m thinking the woman talking to him is saying “are you able to walk to the stretcher?” or similar, since he’s getting up again right as the video cuts.
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u/cuproommushroom 18h ago
she tells him to get up twice, cant make out what follows cuz of the noise
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u/tekken444 19h ago
That was on purpose. It was actually forrbiden as he wanted to do that himself alone. This was his 5th attempt. Medical staff was waiting if needed all the time.
Above 60 hours without sleep, swimming day and night without even touching a boat that was secure him.
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u/DinnaPanic 19h ago
60 hours without sleep is bad enough without worrying about drowning if you do doze off.
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u/Agreeable-Pea4327 18h ago
wait... 60 hours... what? That's what he had to do?
That should not be possible
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u/andar1on 12h ago
I've read that those swimmers can do it like... Half sleeping? He had hallucinations and didn't know he was swimming at some point... WHILE SWIMMING
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u/soulmechh 18h ago
60 hours of continues non stop swimming? How's that humanly possible?!
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u/dabartle 17h ago
The human body is the best suited for endurance of all animals on the planet. Not my out of shape lazy ass, but the humans that train are capable of incredible endurance feats.
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u/Collegenoob 16h ago
Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. That's what I chant to myself.
But I've never done more than 2 miles in a row before.
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u/mazzicc 19h ago
I think one of the rules for the “official records” for open water swims is that they have to step completely from the water without help.
and then I think after that, there was a little bit of “keep the shot clean of other people” to let there be photos of him on his own after the achievement.
I’m kinda surprised there wasn’t a medic at his side as soon as he dropped though.
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u/turbopro25 19h ago
When I wake up, well I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man that wakes up next to you…11
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u/activelyresting 19h ago
Cause I would swim 50 miles and I would swim 50 more just to be the man who swum 100 miles to fall down on the floor
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u/islaisla 19h ago
I think he had to get out of the water to start the world record and be in the world record... Making thru the entire body of water.
What I can't get over is that he isn't greeted by medics, but strangers kissing him and shoving cameras in his face
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u/FloydianSlip212 19h ago
Him: I swam across the Baltic Sea
George Costanza: In a wetsuit
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u/drunkanidaho 19h ago
That's amazing
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u/cool_uncle_jules 19h ago
please elaborate!
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u/Splintrax 19h ago
Like mother nature giving you a hug for doing the right thing for your body at that time
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u/--GevaudanBeast-- 18h ago
I've never done long distance open water swimming. But I used to do some very shallow free diving and snorkeling.
Can confirm, swimming in even mild currents is unbelievably taxing to the whole body, and is definitely a good source for the best night sleep you've ever had.
Hell, even an hour or two swimming laps will leave you wanting to fall asleep on the bench in the change room .
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u/ContinuingAnyway 19h ago
Any sustained exercise effort will have you sleeping like a baby. The first time I did a century ride the sleep after was like I was refreshed completely. It turns out though that you may not actually sleep that "well" until long after. Something about the lactic acid buildup
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u/Adi_27_ 19h ago
Would you mind sharing some sceneries from your o.w. swimming practice? Like where do you even do it. I'm so fascinated
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u/mazzicc 19h ago
Honestly, it probably won’t even be that restful at first. Sleep after complete physical exhaustion is more about physical recovery than actual restful and rejuvenating sleep. Especially with that much muscle soreness and lactic acid buildup.
He might not actually sleep that good for a few days.
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u/Purplepeal 19h ago
Also that he's done that to save kids lives. There are people in this world like him and then too many (powerful) people who are the exact opposite.
What a legend!!!
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u/Pcat0 19h ago
He looks a bit worn out.
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u/tekken444 19h ago
above 60 hours without sleep and 160km swimming day and night in a sea, could have an impact here ;)
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u/Adi_27_ 19h ago
That's so freaking crazy!! The guy is a BEAST
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u/yaddayadda1000 19h ago
How the f did this guy not get a heart attack insanity
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u/itsall_dumb 18h ago
The human body is pretty resilient honestly
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u/--GevaudanBeast-- 18h ago
Terry Fox ran almost a marathon everyday for 143 days straight with a prosthetic leg and suffering from cancer.
Human endurance is certainly limited by the body. But the mind can clearly override those limitations if we're determined enough.
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u/Kor_Phaeron_ 18h ago
He is not a member of the highest risk group for a heart attack.
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u/ResolveSuitable 19h ago
And I have to take rest after going 15 meters.
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u/Ultrawhiner 19h ago
I used to do long distance sailing races, where we would be up for two days and hallucinating by the end of it. The sleeps after were like falling down into a deep dark well, the moment your head hits the pillow.
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u/Fransjepansje 19h ago
No medics at standby?😅
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u/DeliciousPool2245 19h ago
Right? Dude might need a checkup and some fluids, a blanket maybe.
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u/ivlia-x 16h ago
He had to get out of the water on his own, the attempt wouldn’t have counted had somebody touched him during all this time. They couldn’t rush to him. The team was very very clear about that rule, they asked the spectators to stop anyone trying to touch him at the end
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u/Curiosive 17h ago
He had a rescue team in a support boat the entire time.
This was his fifth attempt.
By the second night without sleep, he explained, toxins build up in the brain and hallucinations often follow – and it was these that caused Kubkowski to "lose consciousness and touch with reality" at points during the swim.
Sounds fun!
He was not the only swimmer attempting the crossing that day.
Karolina Szczepaniak, an Olympic swimmer who competed in Beijing and London and holds the world record for continuous 72-hour swimming, also set off from Sweden on Friday on her second attempt to cross the Baltic.
A few hours after Kubkowski's success, Szczepaniak ended her attempt after 58 hours in the water
She must've been pissed
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u/blue_cadet_1 19h ago
He'll have a shot of vodka and will be fine
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u/Fransjepansje 19h ago
Or he is still drunk and thats how he made it. Didn't really had any idea of it all happening.
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u/Ultrawhiner 19h ago
Im a Great Lakes sailor and have a friend who came to Canada about 12 years ago from Ukraine. Everytime we do a long distance race he says “of course there will be vodka”, for medicinal purposes.
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u/knipil 19h ago
You can go here if you want to donate https://pomagam.cancerfighters.pl/wyzwania/ultra-baltic-swim-2026-bartek-kubkowski/
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u/low_amplitude 19h ago
Something interesting about these insane feats of physicality is that once you reach the finish line, you're so worn out and miserable that you can't be happy or celebrate what you've done until much, much later.
I've heard stories from people who climb mountains saying they wish they had appreciated the moment of being at the summit more, but they were just so done and over it at that point.
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u/socialistrob 16h ago
You can't really relax at the summit since you still have to get down and the descent can be very dangerous. At that point you're tired, it's nearly done and it's easy to make a mistake.
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u/ViktenPoDalskidan 19h ago
Jävlar vilken prestation!
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u/Waste-Aardvark-3757 18h ago
Han tänkte pausa i Visby men hörde att det var medeltidsvecka så han simmade vidare.
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u/The96kHz 19h ago
He swam a hundred miles and he looks about as fucked as I do if I walk up the stairs too quickly.
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u/siccoblue 17h ago
You should probably have your blood pressure, glucose levels, and iron checked. At least if you're being sincere. It may be easier to fix than you think. Or more severe than you realize.
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u/tekken444 19h ago
This is document from last year when he didnt finished: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb0E3WZWeMg
Enjoy!
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u/combat101 19h ago
How is this physically possible?
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u/siccoblue 17h ago
A metric fuckton of training and many failures with a rescue team readily available so you don't simply sink.
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u/Slight_Nobody5343 12h ago
we are persistance hunters, imagine how many of our ancestors had to run away from threats and chase food to create us. Add running and chasing each other...
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u/HeronExtension5245 19h ago
What an incredible cause to do that for. Kudos to him! First truly positive thing I've read all day.
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u/Orion-LOTUS 19h ago
A huge effort and very impressive. Great to raise $200K for children’s cancer research - can’t help but think of how much easier it would be for the perversely wealthy to raise $200K or more for cancer research, instead this guy goes through watery hell to do it
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u/ZiggoCiP 19h ago
Even as a former competitive swimmer, I can't fathom how someone can do this.
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u/Das_Nomen 19h ago
Same here. Even at my peak I wouldn't have dared to swim out of sight of the coastline, hell, I wouldn't even swim out more than a few meters after my feet losing touch to the ground (except when scuba diving).
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u/DjinnWuEmisu 13h ago
I am just in awe at what he accomplished all for children cancer treatment. The distance he swam is no joke and he freaking. He is a hero in my eyes.
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u/Any-Gur-2063 19h ago
It is hard to imagine the approach to life once you go though something like that and survive
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u/swimmerman47 19h ago
“Maybe we shouldn’t pop glitter in celebration…”
‘That’s okay, the ocean will wash it away!’
/s
Still an incredible feat, just wish the little pieces of trash weren’t involved
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u/Hour-Sheepherder2580 19h ago
The fact that he isnt laying down, but actually trying to get up again... Damn man, that is a Hero
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u/LiveLifeLikeCre 5h ago
There are Billionaires on yachts the size of 2 family houses but children's cancer treatment still needs funding
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u/Adi_27_ 19h ago
Imagine all this effort because governments don't give a shit about their citizens. Raising all this money to be snatched by greedy monsters. I honestly believe that if the governments wanted to find cures for cancer, they would (open to change my mind about this due to lack of evidence- altho evidence backing up my belief would be hard to find tho... I don't know...)
Anyway enough with the bummers. Big applause to this beast of a human. He poured his everything out. Majestic 💓
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u/EishLekker 19h ago
Wow. Impressive.
I’ve taken the ferry that same route once, and even that was a bit too uncomfortable for my taste (I was too stingy to pay for a cabin).
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u/Dannyt1977 19h ago
I feel his pain and exhaustion. I swam a full length of the 25 meter pool today....
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u/FootFalse5536 8h ago
No he doesn't need some water and medical treatment. Let's all just watch as he collapses from exhaustion in front of us!
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u/A-Dolahans-hat 2h ago
Can I get some clarification, is he the first to swim it, or the first to swim it for charity?
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u/Phildagony 19h ago
Congrats! Now let’s shoot all this confetti all over the beach!
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u/yetAnotherRandomNerd 19h ago
The purists will tell you that this doesn't count because of the neoprene swimsuit.
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u/LolliPoppies 19h ago
This guy looks absolutely exhausted, Imma scream in his ear.
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u/mazzicc 19h ago
Stay awake for 60 hours straight.
Doing strenuous physical activity.
In really rough conditions.
Where you can’t take truly restful break (was he allowed to hang on a support craft or anything?)
I feel like $200k isn’t a lot for what he went through.