Czech swimmer Jakub Kačerovský first Czech to swim across Cook Strait solo

Czech long-distance athlete Jakub Kačerovský has achieved a remarkable feat. The 24-year-old has swum across New Zealand’s Cook Strait, becoming the first Czech to complete the route solo.

Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s North and South Islands and is known for its strong and unpredictable currents. Although the distance is about 22 kilometres in a straight line, the currents pushed Kačerovský off course and he eventually swam around 26 kilometres.

Speaking to Radio Prague International shortly after finishing the crossing, Kačerovský said the conditions were pretty tough.

Jakub Kačerovský (right) in Cook Strait|Photo: Jakub Kačerovský / FB

“The water was quite rough and, above all, cold. The temperature was slightly below 14 degrees Celsius. I honestly didn’t expect that. I thought it would be about two degrees warmer. But in the end, it worked out.”

Two boats accompanied him during the swim. One was a support vessel responsible for safety and watching for dangers in the water, including sharks. The other was an inflatable boat travelling right beside him.

“On it was my mom acting as my feeder, giving me fluids every 30 minutes so I wouldn’t become completely exhausted. The driver of that boat also acted as a referee to ensure that all the rules for the crossing were being followed,” he says.

For Kačerovský, the swim was not just a personal challenge. He says his crossings are meant to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and support people living with the disease.

The cause is also personal for him. His grandmother died from a neurodegenerative illness, and a member of his support team also has a relative with multiple sclerosis.

Cook Strait is not Kačerovský’s first major achievement. Last year he swam across the English Channel. However, he says the New Zealand crossing was harder.

“It’s hard to compare them directly, because in the English Channel I swam about 20 kilometres more. But the water there was warmer and the waves were smaller than here.

READ ALSO

Abhejali Bernardová: first Czech to complete Oceans Seven challenge

“From the start I spent about two and a half hours swimming among jellyfish that were stinging me. They weren’t extremely painful, it was a bit like lying down in nettles, but it was definitely annoying.”

Preparing for such extreme distances, he says, is not only about physical training but also about mental strength.

“Most of these long crossings are mainly about mindset. If your mind is not set firmly on your goal, the body can be trained as much as possible, but the swimmer still won’t succeed.”

Cook Strait is one of the so-called Oceans Seven, the world’s toughest long-distance swimming challenges. Kačerovský has already completed the English Channel and hopes to finish the entire series in the future.

Although he is the first Czech male solo swimmer to cross Cook Strait, he is not the first Czech to complete the swim. Czech swimmer Abhejali Bernardová crossed the strait in 2018 and later went on to complete the full Oceans Seven challenge.