‘If eye shores opposite reach not
Lakebed undifferentiated from high
You hovering in the middle of horizon
In some kind of chasm in Blue-sky’
A. Mickiewicz „Świteź”
This website is about my open water swims. It is also a site about Terra Swim Program that I have just launched.
Bogusław Wozniak
My Swimming
A few years ago, during my son’s birthday party, a parent told me that he was training to cross 6 km of the Balaton Lake race. At that moment, I thought that was a long swim… at the swimming pool, I covered the maximum distance of 1.5 km. The Balaton race was in three weeks’ time. On the internet, I checked that the exact distance was 5.2 km – I thought why not … and so it started.
Open Water Swims – according to CSA (Channel Swimming Association, the organisation that certifies English Channel swim since 2017) – defines the rules of the swimsuit, as well as the entire swim. During the swim, a swimmer is not allowed to use neoprene, fins, or any other device that might help or enhance his/her swim or protect him/her from the cold water. A swimmer is allowed to have only one swimming cap, swimsuit no longer that above knees, and swim googles. The swimmer is not allowed to swim behind the boat (draft), and has to finish his/her swim on dry land with no assistance from other people.
Balaton Lake Cross Swim
I have finished Balaton Lake Cross Swim a few time since then. I was always fascinated by the number of participants, at around 7-10 thousand, and the perfect swim organisation.
Lear more
Strait of Gibraltar
I first visited the Strait of Gibraltar when I was a student, hitchhiking through Spain, when we decided to take a ferry to Ceuta. The reason was prosaic – we wanted to be in Africa for a moment. Being in a ferry, I wondered how long it would take me to swim across this strait.
Lear more
Sa Dragonera
After completing the Strait of Gibraltar, the English Channel was my next challenge. I decided to practice a bit taking a few swim races. Dragonera Island race in Majorca was much better choice than swimming in 13 degrees Celsius in Mazurian Lakes.
Lear more
I. Formigues – I. Medes
Driving at 5 am to the start of the race I persuade myself that this 22.3 km distance, it is not that long. Just 6 h of swim, not a problem. It turn out that waves and wind during the swim “extended” my time to almost 9 h.
Lear more
English Channel
If you have ever had a dream of winning a million in the lotter, then more or less my dream was of swimming the English Channel. I knew it was possible, that people had swum it before, but I was sure that it would never happen to me.
Lear more
Rapperswil - Zurich
The water temperature was super, I would even say a little too warm (22C). First km without problems. At 14km everything was still ok although I felt my arms slowly being tired.
Lear more