Turkish athlete sets out to become 1st autistic swimmer to cross English Channel
IZMIR
A 22-year-old autistic ultramarathon swimmer from the western province of İzmir has begun his attempt to swim across the English Channel, aiming to become the first autistic person to complete the feat.
Tuna Tunca departed for the U.K. on June 9 and started swimming from Dover on June 13, after weather conditions were deemed favorable by his escort boat captain.
The swim covers approximately 36 kilometers between England and France, with water temperatures around 14 degrees Celsius.
This marks Tunca’s second attempt to cross the Channel, following a weather-disrupted effort last year.
Tunca first attempted the crossing on Sept. 15. He swam for eight hours without pause but was forced to stop due to worsening weather, upon the decision of the accompanying boat captain.
Undeterred, Tunca resumed training and returned this year to complete the challenge.
Tunca began swimming at 3.5 years old, when one day, drawn to water, he jumped into a pool without a flotation device.
Recognizing his connection to the water, his mother, Gülnur Tunca, supported him in starting swimming lessons.
He began training under a coach at the age of 11 and has since achieved multiple milestones.
On June 23 last year, Tunca completed a 36-kilometer swim from Capri Island to Naples, Italy, alongside his coach.
He has also swum across the Bosphorus and Çanakkale straits in the country and became the first autistic individual to complete an open-water swim from the Greek island of Chios to the Turkish coastal town of Çeşme in the western city of İzmir.
This latest challenge to cross the English Channel highlights the young swimmer’s perseverance and dedication to his sport.
