Long-distance swimmer to tackle two extreme challenges

Croatian long-distance swimmer Dina Levačić is set to take on two bold new challenges in the coming weeks.

First up: a pioneering swim around Saint Helena - the remote island in the South Atlantic where Napoleon was exiled. It's located about two thousand kilometers off the west coast of Africa. If successful, Dina will become the first person ever to complete the roughly forty-five-kilometer circumnavigation. The attempt is scheduled for 25 February.

"This will be a huge adventure - even just getting there," she said. "The route around Saint Helena has never been swum before. I hope to see some whales or dolphins along the way - they'll give me that extra boost. I'm really looking forward to it."

After Saint Helena, Dina heads straight to South America. On Lake Titicaca - straddling the Peru-Bolivia border at three thousand eight hundred meters above sea level - she'll tackle a sixteen-kilometer swim in water around fifteen degrees Celsius.

"The altitude is the biggest unknown for me," she admitted. "I haven't trained specifically for it, but I hope my body handles it well. With my thirtieth birthday on 14 March, I'm treating this as a special birthday adventure."

Both swims also carry a humanitarian angle. Dina is raising funds through an open call for her favorite project, "Four Dalmatians," supporting initiatives on the Dalmatian islands. She invites associations and non-profits to apply by the end of the month - details are on her Facebook profile.