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Turkish open water swimmer Deniz Kayadelen has become the first Turkish national to swim in Arctic waters, completing a 1,200-meter swim near Svalbard, an archipelago located close to the North Pole.
Kayadelen, who holds six world championship titles and a Guinness World Record in her career, swam in Arctic waters measuring 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) off Svalbard, one of the regions closest to the North Pole.
The 38-year-old swimmer undertook the journey with her 10-month-old daughter, Alya, navigating both the physical demands of cold-water swimming and the responsibilities of early motherhood.
Kayadelen, who also works as a psychologist, said the swim was intended to mark a historic milestone for Türkiye while offering encouragement to mothers balancing ambition with new parenthood.
Kayadelen described the swim as one of the most demanding challenges of her career, citing the cold temperatures, unpredictable weather conditions and the added responsibility of traveling with an infant.
She said the small size of the boat used during the expedition and the harsh weather conditions meant she was unable to bring her daughter along, leaving her at a hotel for each swim.
Kayadelen said she thought of her daughter throughout the swim and hoped the achievement would serve as inspiration for mothers and for Türkiye more broadly. She said the swim represented a first for a Turkish athlete in Arctic waters near the North Pole.
Kayadelen said she experienced anxiety ahead of entering the water, questioning whether she had trained adequately during the summer heat and whether health complications could arise during the swim. She said she used meditation and breathing exercises to calm her mindset before entering the water and completed the swim without incident.
She said having her daughter present during the trip added a distinct emotional and psychological dimension to the experience, describing the swim as a significant moment in her career.
Kayadelen said her broader mission has been to pursue milestones, draw inspiration from nature, and motivate others through her work as an athlete.
She noted that no Turkish athlete had previously swum in the icy waters near the North Pole and described the accomplishment as a source of pride for both herself and Turkish women more broadly.
Kayadelen said the idea for the Arctic swim developed from an earlier ambition to swim in Antarctica. She explained that because her daughter is still an infant and an Antarctic expedition typically requires more extensive travel, she opted to pursue the Arctic swim as an alternative until her daughter is older.
She said she hopes that when her daughter is old enough to understand the journey, the experience will illustrate the value of taking action despite fear, exceeding personal limits, embracing uncertainty, and building confidence gradually.
Kayadelen said becoming a mother added a new sense of responsibility to her outlook and said her daughter's presence has been a source of motivation throughout her athletic career.
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