Renowned Turkish ultra-marathon swimmer Bengisu Avcı made history again by crossing the Cook Strait in New Zealand.
Avcı, who holds the title for the fastest swim across the English Channel between England and France, achieved another milestone in her career.
Despite facing water temperatures of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) and the looming danger of hypothermia, Bengisu Avcı embarked on the 26-kilometer (16-mile) route across the Cook Strait, ultimately becoming the first Turkish person to accomplish this feat.
Having already conquered the fourth route in her "7 Oceans - Oceans Seven" challenge, Avcı previously swam the 36-kilometer English Channel on Aug. 3, 2018, the 34-kilometer Catalina Channel between Catalina Island and Los Angeles in the United States on Sept. 5-6, 2022, and the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco in August 2023.
Avcı still needs to cross the Molokai Channel in Hawaii, the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, and the Tsugaru Strait in Japan to complete her ultimate goal.
