He was the first to swim three routes across the Gulf of Gdańsk in a single season (Gdynia–Hel, Jastarnia–Rewa, Puck–Chałupy)… His love for swimming was instilled by his father and ignited by Sebastian Karaś, a renowned long-distance swimmer. Dawid combined the adventure of his life with a mission to support the recovery and return to activity of another swimmer who had suffered an accident. Meet Dawid Frankowski – an IT expert, open-water swimmer, and advocate for helping others.
The Swimming Adventure
How did your swimming journey begin?
It all started thanks to my father – he inspired me with his love for being in the water, especially open-water environments. I was born and raised in the beautiful region of Kashubian lakes, and I’ve carried this passion for swimming with me ever since.
Not everyone is motivated to swim, let alone tackle long-distance challenges. What motivated you to take on the “3 Routes in the Extreme Baltic Challenge”?
Sebastian Karaś – those familiar with swimming know what an exceptional figure he is. He was the one who encouraged me to embark on extreme open-water adventures. It was thanks to him that, during my first participation in one of his training camps, I was introduced to open water swimming. I instantly fell in love with this form of swimming and with setting increasingly bigger challenges for myself.
Sebastian has achieved so much in open water that his accomplishments are practically unbeatable for an average person. The Extreme Baltic Challenge (EBC) is a federation he founded, so I was looking for a challenge within that framework that no one had yet undertaken. I found one! I set my sights on completing all three EBC routes in a single season – something no one had done before. I wanted to be the first, and… I succeeded.
