Open sea swimmer Aysu Türkoğlu is travelling to New Zealand for her new goal, the “Cook Strait” crossing.
Speaking at a press conference held at a hotel in Bodrum before the crossing in the capital Wellington on 23-27 March, 23-year-old Aysu Türkoğlu said that she will go to New Zealand on Wednesday 13 March.
Stating that she will try to cross the Cook Strait canal on a day when the weather is good on the specified date, Aysu Türkoğlu said: “If I pass here, I will be the youngest Turkish athlete to achieve this. It is a distance of about 27 kilometres and weather conditions can vary. The water temperature will be between 14-17 degrees.
“There are various creatures waiting for me there, such as orcas and stingrays. They are always there and I will try not to think about them and focus on my swimming.”
Aysu Türkoğlu emphasised that each channel has its own difficulties, that she has done a lot of training for this, so she is comfortable.
Stating that she also did icy and cold water training, Aysu Türkoğlu said, “I also did a lot of pool training. Sometimes we had double training days. I hope my swim in New Zealand will be completed as soon as possible. I have passed 2 channels before and the important thing is to get enthusiasm while doing these. I hope that I will represent my country well in other channels and show the power of Turkish women and unfurl our flag there again.”
Aynur Türkoğlu, the older sister of Aysu Türkoğlu, stated that her trust in her sister is always infinite and said, “It is a very exciting situation for us. I hope she will successfully pass and come again and everything will be fine.”
Father Mustafa Türkoğlu stated that he was happy, proud and worried at the same time, and that each channel had its own difficulties.
Mother Yurdagül Türkoğlu, on the other hand, stated that she always believed in her daughter and they were sure that she would succeed.
Aysu Türkoğlu’s crossing will start from Picton Marina and cover a challenging 27-kilometre course, fighting against the strong currents of the Cook Strait. The water temperature is expected to vary between 15-18 degrees.
Aysu Türkoğlu, who became the youngest Turk to swim across the English Channel between England and France in 16 hours 28 minutes on 30 July 2022, swam the 40-kilometre North Channel in 11 hours 48 minutes 19 seconds on 9 August last year and became the “first Turkish woman and the youngest Turkish athlete”.
