Piotr Biankowski (50, MSF bio here, IISA bio here, @piotrbiankowski) is a prolific channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, winter swimmer, and ice swimmer from Rumia, Poland.
He has done everything from an Ice Mile in -9.00°C air and Ice Kilometer in -0.02°C water and -5.40°C air and competed in the Winter World Swimming Championships and the International Ice Swimming Association World Championship to completing the 40 km In Search of Memphre, the English Channel, Loch Ness, 20 Bridges, the Catalina Channel, and Lake Tahoe.
We asked Biankowski to talk about his career…
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: When did you start swimming in the open water?
Piotr Biankowski: This is a superb question. I learned to swim when I was six at the best swimming club in the world, AZS-AWF in Gdańsk. My coach was also the best, Hanna Klimek-Włodarczyk. I lived in Jelitkowo near the beach and my first experience with open water swimming was at very early age. When I was only a few years old, I started to swim after running after beach balls.
But about the big water, I heard much more later in 2016. It was at the IWSA World Winter Swimming Championships. It was there that I met there Bogusław Ogrodnik who told me about his channel crossings. Then I started to dream about the English Channel. I started to swim open water. In 2020, I managed to compete in the 18 km Polish classic challenge Kołobrzeg-Bornholm between Gdynia and Hel in the Gulf of Gdańsk. Then I knew I must try the Channel.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Where do you current train?
Piotr Biankowski: I train at city pool MOSIR in Rumia with the TRI TEAM CLUB RUMIA, together with triathletes and swimmers. The coach Piotr Netter knows what I am doing and corrects my training until my crossings. I am a good competitor – I listen and trust my coach. This is our recipe for success. Regarding training in the open water, I adjust myself to the training plan. My colleague Karol Zalewski, a general coach, knows my weak points very well and we concentrate on this at land.
The most important is that all of this you should connect with your professional and private life. So if the training plan is achieved in 50%, I am happy. The rest will be judged by the nature.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Tell us about your training methods. How many days per week do you train? Do you do dryland training? What are your toughest workouts?
Piotr Biankowski: This is not a secret that I have have very little time for training, so together with my coach, we decided to introduce the special “Biankowski” method – systematic, strength, kilometers, but everything is not too exaggerated and not to destroy my body. It is shortly systematic with the proper burden and kilometers, but not too much, saving power for the crossing. Mostly I train in a pool to focus on my rhythm and form usually 2-3 times a week. I try to do each workout differently. I also train at the gym, ride a bike, do yoga, and walk. Also outside, but it depends on the season of the year. In summer, I swim in the Gulf of Gdańsk and in the Kashubian Lakes 1-2 times a week. During the winter, once in cold water. The most important time is three months before the crossing, because there is a full concentration then.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: You do marathon swimming, channel crossings, ice swimming, and high-altitude swimming. Why do you challenge yourself to all of these different types of open water swimming?
Piotr Biankowski: As a matter of fact when I decided to come back to physical and sport activity after a long break, I first decided to start triathlons. I swam without a wetsuit and my colleague noticed that I had no problem with low water temperatures and told me about competitions in cold water. That moment I started, my adventure with winter swimming started. First, there were short distances about 450 meters, than 1 kilometer in temperature 1.2°C. In the open water, I like differences between seas and lakes. This is unbelievable. It is a curiosity about nature which dictate the circumstances.
And the most important are the rules. Gulf, lake, river, ocean, swimming at the mountains at high altitudes and even under the land in a mine. Crossing is not only swimming from point A to point B. It is a big undertaking from the first thought to exit to another shore. Every detail is important there. Swimming itself is a reward like dreams come true. I like challenges and adrenaline. When you are swimming, there are different situations, most of them are nice, but there are also demons which you must fight against. In such situations, you need really good support on a boat from the very beginning.
Thanks to promoting open water, swimming people try to follow you. They learn how to swim. They are aware and full of respect of the water. It has a huge impact on safety in any water. This also shows the alternative to swimming in the pool. They don’t have to finish their career in swimming, just change the place of their swims.
I organize also the crossing of the Gulf Gdańsk where swimmers can check themselves. At every promotion, there is also the charity action as I am the ambassador of the Ronald McDonald Foundation (@fundacja_ronalda_mcdonalda). I would like to turn people’s attention to the programs and actions of the Foundation.
It is a very strong motivation for me. Swimming is my real passion. I love to do it. But my strongest motivation is helping children. I am very happy when I can join the two things – doing good and promoting programs of the Foundation as its main mission is: Let family always be together. Children and their parents watch my crossings because it is also the fight against the obstacles of the fate. We help each other.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What has been your toughest swim yet? Why?
Piotr Biankowski: Each swim is different and brings new experiences. The level of difficulties and the level of surprise are also different. I think that you can cross everything, but if you won’t cross the English Channel – then everything is before you. The English Channel was definitely the most difficult for me.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: How long do you plan to do marathon swims or ice swims?
Piotr Biankowski: This is a very difficult question, I won’t expose the answer to my wife. There are so many beautiful open bodies of waters to take the challenge. Besides, I plan three further attempts. I give myself 10 more years to reach those goals. Nowadays, my aim is to cross Fehmarn Belt between Germany and Denmark. Next year, I will try to cross the Cook Strait in New Zealand. This can give me an answer if I am ready for the next of my plans.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What do you like to drink and eat during your marathon swims?
Piotr Biankowski: There are standard products which I try myself – isotonic, carbo, coffee, tea, chocolate jelly, blended chicken soup, and even pancakes but mostly at warm temperatures.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Who is on your support teams on your channel crossings? Piotr Biankowski: My wife Beata is mostly my support and nowadays Aleksandra Kabelis, who is also an open water swimmer. We try to give support to each other with the help of Aleksandra. I know I can always count on support of Bogusław Ogrodnik and rely on him. He is valuable friend of mine. Good support is very important during the crossing, this must be a reliable person and someone who knows you very well. So we take care of it. Also the mental condition of the swimmer is very important. I can say I also mentally swim as a part of my swimming. Big water is for crazy people. We establish the rules, duties, and plans. We also try to join swimming with the sightseeing of the world and meeting people.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: How do you prepare before your ice swims?
Piotr Biankowski: I had no problem jumping into cold water, but every next stage: 500 meters, 1 kilometer, extreme Ice Mile took me two seasons. I was happy that I was very well prepared to it. Now I concentrate to crossings and cold water is only a part of my preparation of the open water. You have to decide something. Now, it is open water. Maybe someday, I will come back to swimming in the ice.
Daily News of Open Water Swimming: How do you re-warm after your ice swims?
Piotr Biankowski: I do not have such a huge experience. I swim short distances that take up to 30 minutes. This is a process and it depends on how long I stay in water and what the temperature is if you are talking about swimming in the ice. Return is sometimes long because of quick loss of energy and the body must regenerate itself. I try to dry off as quick as possible, to put on my clothes and naturally through the muscles cramps come back to the state before swimming. If there is a sauna, you can accelerate this process, of course.
Open water is longer swimming and even if the water and air temperature is not very low, we lose body heat anyway, especially after few hours in the water. It is due to external circumstances we are exposed to – like rain, wind, season of the year, etc. It is always the art of survival and adaptation. I am able to warm myself with good thoughts, and also my support team can warm me up with good words from them and my friends. Swimming open water doesn’t improve your character, it just confirms it. After reaching the shore, there is a joy and euphoria and immediately new plans develop, and you can quickly forget about all difficulties during your swim.
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