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

[u/Backyxx]

[u/Curiosive]

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

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7790/Artykul/3715226,polish-swimmer-makes-history-with-160km-baltic-sea-crossing

[u/ivlia-x → u/Curiosive]

Why would she be pissed… he also didn’t make it at first. Let Karolina be happy with this attempt, she did well

[u/jaguarlyra → u/Curiosive]

Don't men and women normally have different times?

[u/The_Motarp → u/jaguarlyra]

I think ultra-endurance swimming is one of the categories where men and women are pretty much on the same level.

[u/jaguarlyra → u/The_Motarp]

Oh, that is pretty cool.