Kubkowski’s Baltic Sea project also had a charitable purpose.
He dedicated the challenge to the Cancer Fighters Foundation, which supports children and young people battling cancer.
The Ultra Baltic Swim project has been linked to fundraising campaigns for the foundation during his previous attempts as well. In 2025, his unsuccessful attempt still helped raise money for the charity.
For the swimmer, the cause gave the difficult challenge another purpose.
Instead of being only a personal record attempt, the project was also meant to draw attention to children fighting serious illnesses and encourage people to support them.
Why his 2026 achievement is significantly different
Kubkowski had already become known for his endurance before finally completing the Baltic crossing.
His previous attempts had shown that simply being able to swim for many hours was not enough. The weather, currents, cold water and exhaustion could all end the challenge even when the swimmer was close to the finish.
In 2025, he was just 11 km away.
One year later, he went those final kilometres and reached the shore.
The achievement therefore represents not only a record but also the result of several years of trying, learning and returning to the water.
His latest crossing also gives meaning to the name of his project, Ultra Baltic Swim, which he created around his long-term effort to swim across the Baltic Sea.
A record built over years
Kubkowski’s story is less about one swim than about persistence.
He tried the crossing in different years, faced bad weather and powerful currents, came close to finishing and still returned for another attempt.
The 2025 attempt could easily have been the end of the journey. After 159 km and 55 hours in the water, he had been forced to stop just 11 km from the finish.
Instead, he came back in 2026.
This time, he completed more than 160 km and walked out on the beach at Dziwnów as the first person to achieve the full Baltic Sea crossing between Sweden and Poland.
For Kubkowski, it was the end of a five-attempt journey. For long-distance swimming, it was a new milestone.