Nathalie Pohl begins 200km river swim from Frankfurt to Cologne

Nathalie Pohl, a 31-year-old extreme swimmer, has launched the ‘Rivers: Frankfurt to Cologne’ challenge. The mission involves swimming approximately 200 kilometers through the Main and Rhine rivers over four days.

Pohl is joined by eleven other open-water swimmers who rotate shifts to support her journey. The expedition is supported by seven safety boats and aims to raise funds for swimming lessons for children. The initiative is motivated by statistics from the German Life Saving Society, which reported at least 261 drownings in German waters through July 2026.

Social media influencer Marinus Obermair, known as MoveLikeG, is participating in the challenge by swimming a segment of the route. Pohl, who has previously completed all seven of the world's most dangerous ocean passages, is aiming to reach the German Sport & Olympia Museum in Cologne.