Ece Demir completed the Catalina Channel course between Santa Catalina Island and the mainland in California, United States, in 16 hours and 43 minutes. Demir battled nighttime swimming, cold water, waves and currents before reaching the California coast at the end of the lengthy crossing.
A support boat and kayak were used to ensure safety during the swim on September 13–14, 2026. The Catalina Channel crossing was one of the significant stages in Demir’s international career, as a long-distance open-water course requiring adaptation to changing sea conditions and endurance.
University introduces her as the youngest Turkish athlete to cross the channel
Demir, a graduate of the Department of Physics at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, was also introduced as an athlete with the ÇOMÜ Sports Club. The university said that, in addition to completing the crossing in 16 hours and 43 minutes, Demir was the youngest Turkish athlete to swim across the Catalina Channel.
The achievement was considered an important step toward Demir’s broader open-water swimming goals. The currents, waves and cold water during the crossing showed that the course was challenging not only because of its distance but also because of the need to adapt to sea conditions.
Catalina Channel follows Manhattan course
Before swimming the Catalina Channel, Demir completed the approximately 48-kilometre 20 Bridges Swim Manhattan course in New York on September 21, 2025. The Catalina Channel crossing marked the next stage in her long-distance open-water swimming career after that earlier achievement.
Demir’s performance marked a new stage in her swimming journey toward the Ocean’s Seven and Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming goals. However, completing the Catalina Channel crossing does not mean that either of these titles has been achieved; the result represents a stage in Demir’s progress toward those goals.
