VIDEO: Dina Levačić conquers New Zealand’s Cook Strait: “It was rough and tough but I am proud”
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Dina Levačić swims New Zealand’s Cook Strait (Photo: Private album)
On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Dina Levačić, a long distance swimmer from the Split Distance Swimming Club, swam the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
Dina has now completed the Oceans Seven challenge, which includes seven of the world’s most famous swims.
After swimming the Catalina Channel and the English Channel in 2017, the Molokai Channel in Hawaii in 2018, the Tsugaru Channel in Japan in 2019, the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland in 2022, and the Strait of Gibraltar, the Cook Strait in New Zealand was all that remained.
Dina set off swimming the Cook Strait in the morning on Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. local time. The sea temperature was 16 °C, and the air temperature was between 8 and 20 °C.
(Photo: Private album)
(Photo: Private album)
(Photo: Private album)
Variable conditions with high waves and strong currents followed Dina for most of the swim, but she managed to finish it in 11 hours and 1 minute.
(Photo: Private album)
(Photo: Private album)
The fact that Dina swam 28.5 km, instead of the shorter 23 km route, speaks volumes for how difficult the conditions were.
(Photo: Private album)
(Photo: Private album)
Dina, who celebrated her 27th birthday today, sent a message after the swim.
“Greetings everyone from New Zealand, after I successfully swum the Cook Strait and completed the Oceans Seven adventure and project, which started in 2017. Swimming the Cook Strait was very challenging, which is to be expected. Although, according to the forecast, I hoped it would be calmer, but in this sport it is always unpredictable. It was very wavy, and we hoped that during the course of the day it would calm down, but it did not. Most important of all, I made it to the South Island, and the main goal was fulfilled.
This was a big success, and the crown of 23 years of swimming and all the sacrifices and hard work has paid off. I would like to thank everyone who has been with me these years. I am proud my name will be listed alongside 22 other people who have also swum the Oceans Sevens, and of course because the Croatian flag will be there.”
Check out the video of Dina in action and her message after the swim in the videos below.
