Swimmer marks one-year milestone in epic Istanbul to Stockholm voyage
ÇANAKKALE
A Swedish long-distance swimmer, embarking on an audacious quest to swim from Istanbul to Sweden, has reached the western province of Çanakkale after a year, marking a pivotal milestone in his remarkable journey.
At 66, Jari Cennet Tammi is living a life few would dare to imagine — crossing seas stroke by stroke and carrying everything he owns in three waterproof bags.
Tammi’s story began years earlier on the shores of Las Palmas, Spain, where in 2016 he first challenged himself to swim 3 kilometers a day. Five years later, he covered 328 kilometers across the Stockholm archipelago, before pushing even further in 2023, swimming 541 kilometers from Stockholm to Helsinki.
Last year, he embarked on his most ambitious expedition yet: To swim all the way from Istanbul to Stockholm. Despite facing setbacks such as rough seas, strong winds and exhaustion, Tammi managed to reach Çanakkale, a crossing he calls “the first true test” of his endurance and spirit.
Everything he needs for survival fits into three waterproof bags that float behind him. In his bags, he carries canned fish, hazelnuts, dates, biscuits, corn and dried noodles for food, a small camping stove, solar panels to charge his phone and GPS, vitamins, water, a tent and a sleeping bag.
“This is my home,” Tammi said. “I have been living in a tent for four years. I didn’t see myself going back to a normal life. My tent is my house.”
He plans to reach Stockholm by 2036, swimming roughly 1,500 kilometers each year. The task demands careful preparation. “Arranging my bags takes one and a half hours every day,” he said. “When I come out of the sea, it takes another two and a half hours to get everything ready again. These bags take more time than swimming itself.”
Tammi says he swims for the joy of discovery. “In Stockholm, I used to swim the same 3 kilometers every day. That became boring. Over here, every day is new. I’m 66 now. When I reach Stockholm, I’ll be 77. It’s a long journey, but it keeps me alive.”
The swimmer said he has built warm friendships along the way, especially in Türkiye. “Turkish people are incredibly hospitable. I feel safe here. My friend Ayhan Kutlu, who is also a swimmer, told me that no one can pass Çanakkale, and I understand why. It’s a place of great heroism.”
Though he fears sharks and rough weather, Tammi faces each morning with courage. “Every day I ask myself, ‘Do I really have to go in today?’ But when I come out of the water, I tell myself, ‘This is life.’”
