Emre Doğan, Şebnem Coşkun, Mohammad Kara Maryam

18 July 2026•Updated: 18 July 2026

Istanbul/Anadolu

Turkish swimmer Deniz Kaya Dalyan (38) has inscribed her name in history as the first Turkish woman to swim in Arctic waters.

Kaya Dalyan, who has won 6 world championships and holds a record in the Guinness Book of Records, covered a distance of 1,200 meters in Arctic waters near the Svalbard archipelago, one of the closest regions to the North Pole, in waters with a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius.

The Turkish swimmer overcame challenging conditions, along with the responsibilities of motherhood, to undertake an experience that inscribed her name in Turkish history.

In press statements after achieving this feat, Kaya Dalyan dedicated her achievement to her country Turkey and 'all women who do not give up on their dreams after becoming new mothers.'

She added: 'I am proud to raise the Turkish flag in one of the most difficult regions of the world.'

Kaya Dalyan also works as a psychologist, and aims through her achievement to inspire all mothers, alongside raising the Turkish flag in the North Pole.