At just 16 years old, Arda Agir is the youngest Turkish swimmer to complete the 28.5-mile 20 Bridges Swim in Manhattan. Agir, a rising junior at Locust Valley High School, completed the race in eight hours and 20 minutes.
The 20 Bridges race takes place in open waters around the island of Manhattan.
Agir said the race, which took place on Sunday, July 27, was made challenging by intense waves. But he said the race represented more than just his record.
“The 20 Bridges Swim isn’t just about my personal records or goals. I swam the 20 Bridges for Swim Across America,” he said.
Swim Across America is a nonprofit organization that raises money for cancer research through charity swims. Meric Agir, Arda’s father, said that the fundraising total has not been calculated and Swim Across America is still collecting funds.
“This cause is personal: my grandfather is a cancer survivor, and his strength continues to inspire me,” Agir said on his Swim Across America fundraising page.
Agir started swimming at six years old and has continued to train ever since.
“From the first time I started, I loved it,” he said.
Now, Agir said he trains six days a week, both in pools and open water. He joined the Locust Valley swim team two years ago after he moved to the area from Turkey. Since then, the school said he has set multiple school records, including the 200-yard individual medley.
Two years ago, Agir began swimming long distances and completed the 4.3-Bosphorus Cross-Continental race in just 56 minutes. After that experience, he decided to continue swimming in open water.
“I love to swim at sea,” he said.
Leading up to the 20 Bridge Swim, Agir reached out to Turkish national team swimmer Bengisu Avci, who set a world record this year in the 200-meter medley. Avci set up a Zoom call and gave him tips on how to train for the event.
The day of the race posed unexpected challenges, he said.
With a storm forecast on the horizon, the waves were high and choppy, Agir said.
“I swam against the waves for three hours straight,” he said.
Meric said he followed his son’s race around Manhattan on a boat—a safety precaution that the race requires swimmers to take. He said it was nerve-wracking to watch his son, but he was confident in his son’s abilities.
“He was very relaxed,” Maric said. “He just kept going.”
Agir said that by the end of the race, he was relieved and proud of his ability to push through the challenges.
“I said, ‘Finally, I’ve done it.’ Now I have confidence to do other, hard open water swims,” he said.
Agir said his participation in the 20 Bridges Swim is just the beginning. Next, he said he will train to complete swims across the English Channel and the Catalina Channel. In 2026, he is set to race in the English Channel Relay on behalf of The Alexa Trust, a United Kingdom-based charity that supports parents with children in neonatal care.
