Polish Swimmer Bartłomiej Kubkowski Completes Baltic Sea Crossing

Bartłomiej Kubkowski, a 31‑year‑old Polish long‑distance swimmer, finished his fifth attempt to swim from Sweden to Poland across the Baltic Sea. After departing from Kaseberga near Ystad on Friday, he reached the beach at Dziwnów in the West Pomeranian region on Sunday evening, covering roughly 160 km in 55 hours without boat assistance, as required by the challenge.

The successful swim raised significant funds for the Polish Cancer Foundation (Cancer Fighters), with donations reported at about 1.8 million PLN (≈197 000 EUR) in one account and nearly 850 000 zlotys in another. Kubkowski endured extreme fatigue, low water temperatures around 16 °C, and even hallucinations in the final stages, while his support team supplied nutrition via specialized feeding arms and monitored his condition.

German and Swedish media highlighted the feat, noting the swimmer’s endurance and the charitable aspect of the expedition.