--- title: Tuna Tunca slug: tuna-tunca-56017 url: /detay/tuna-tunca-56017 type: biography language: English entity: primary: Tuna Tunca type: biography categories: - name: Sport slug: spor url: /kategori/spor tags: - tunatunca - SporBasarisi - CebelitarikBogazi - AcikSuYuzme - OtizmFarkindaligi - ultramaraton - MilliSporcu - Nöroçeşitlilik - Yüzme - Tuna author: Burak Enes created_at: 2026-07-27T15:23:50.145187+03:00 updated_at: 2026-07-27T15:23:50.145197+03:00 image: https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/G8rHlSj1y8cf2ejTYOXyVa7AhXkByiAG.jpg --- # Tuna Tunca > Tuna Tunca is the first autistic Turkish ultra-marathon swimmer to successfully cross the Danube River, the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar and the North Channel. ## KURE Information Cards ![](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/ZWxELHRPOEdSqritFuJjVPftplTbLxWj.jpg) *Tuna Tunca (AA)* | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | Year of Birth | 2003 | | Place of Birth | Istanbul, Türkiye | | Mother | Gülnur Tunca | | Discipline | Open Water and Ultra Marathon Swimming | | Sports Club | İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club | | Coach | Mert Onaran | | Completed Ocean's 7 Stages | English Channel (England - France),Strait of Gibraltar (Spain - Morocco),North Channel (Northern Ireland - Scotland) | ## Article Content [Tuna Tunca](/en/detay/tuna-tunca-e81dd/llms.txt) (b. 2003) is a Turkish open water and ultra-marathon swimmer. He is recognized for completing crossings in the "Ocean's 7" series, composed of the world’s most challenging open water routes, and for being among the first autistic athletes to achieve international success in this field. He continues his sporting career under the banner of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/CXXtymdtrwHRMV2tpd5zOctt40VdTwuV.jpg) *Tuna Tunca ve annesi Gülnur Tunca (AA)* ### **Early Life and Education** Tuna Tunca was born in Istanbul in 2003 as the only child of Gürnur Tunca, an education and career planning consultant. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and a half. Recognizing his special affinity for water, his family introduced him to swimming at an early age, and he received his initial training in İzmir. When his coaches identified his athletic potential and recognized his capacity to reach higher levels in the sport, his mother Gürnur Tunca ended her 20-year professional career in 2013 to fully dedicate herself to his development, education and training. Tuna’s swimming coaching is led by Mert Onaran, a specialist in open water swimming. ### **Career Start and National Achievements** ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/hdGK1eTdAVk5a9CWRLhG2E6e5X6VM8y5.jpg) *Tuna Tunca ve milli yüzücü Aysu Türkoğlu (AA)* Tunca began his open water racing career in 2018 with the Çanakkale Strait race, where he placed second in the disabled category. He later swam across the Istanbul Strait three times and completed the route from Chios Island to Çeşme. He competed in the 5-kilometer distances at national-level open water races held in Bodrum, Marmaris and Göcek, earning podium finishes in his age group. ### **International Achievements and Ultra-Marathons** One of Tunca’s first major international achievements was competing in the 2021 World Championship held in Egypt, where he swam a 10-kilometer course and finished fourth. He then participated in the demanding 36-kilometer Capri-Napoli Ultra-Marathon in Italy alongside his coach Mert Onaran and won the award for "Best Pair" at the conclusion of the event. ### **Ocean's 7 Crossings** Recognized globally as the most prestigious open water swimming series, Ocean's 7 consists of seven routes: the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Catalina Channel, the Cook Strait, the Molokai Channel, the North Channel and the Tsugaru Strait. Tuna Tunca has set completing these seven channels as the central goal of his sporting career. ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/lTnzvOFXmEbL5ZyJTii7Lu8iLn5DbBfi.jpg) *Tuna Tunca (AA)* #### English Channel Crossing As the first leg of Ocean's 7, Tunca completed the 34-kilometer route of the English Channel between England and France on 13 June 2025. He began his swim at 02:24 at Samphire Hoe on the English coast. He swam continuously for 13 hours and 26 minutes against water temperatures of 14 degrees Celsius and strong tidal currents, finishing at Wissant on the French coast. With this achievement, he became the first autistic male swimmer and the first autistic Turkish athlete to complete the English Channel solo. His crossing has been officially documented by the Channel Swimming Association, and he was honored twice at a ceremony held by the association in Folkestone, England. #### Strait of Gibraltar Crossing Following the English Channel, Tunca completed the second leg of the series in September 2025 by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. He entered the water at 09:27 from Punta Marroqui on the Spanish side of the 16.2-kilometer route between Spain and Morocco. Accompanied by British swimmer Rohan Crouse, Spanish swimmers Ariadna Moreno and Victor Gregori Barrera, he completed the crossing without interruption in 5 hours and 32 minutes, reaching the shore at Ziri in Morocco. With this swim, he became the first autistic swimmer in the world to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. #### North Channel Crossing The third leg of Ocean's 7, the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, was completed by Tunca in July 2026. He began the approximately 40-kilometer route from Donaghadee on the northern coast of Northern Ireland. He faced challenging conditions including water temperatures of 14 degrees Celsius, strong tides, cold air and a high presence of jellyfish. Overcoming a powerful current that dominated the final third of the route for nearly three hours, he completed his non-stop swim of approximately 16 hours and reached Port Patrick on the Scottish coast, successfully finishing the third leg of the series. ### **Supporters and Future Plans** ![Image](https://cdn.t3pedia.org/media/uploads/2026/07/27/EKpXULTCtbrjmHL9QjK5mHir0F2vaeM5.jpg) *Tuna Tunca ve annesi Gülnur Tunca (AA)* Tuna Tunca’s sporting activities and international crossings are supported by a range of individuals and institutions, most notably his mother Gürnur Tunca, who accompanies him at every race, and his coach Mert Onaran, as well as İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, his club İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club and AXA Türkiye. The fourth leg of the Ocean's 7 series, the Catalina Channel in the United States, is scheduled for September. Through his achievements, Tunca demonstrates on an international level that autism and neurodiversity are not barriers, and that potential can be fully realized when the right environment and opportunities are provided. ## Academic Sources and References 1. Anadolu Ajansı. "Otizmli oğlu için işleri bırakan anne, onu başarılı bir sporcuya dönüştürdü." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www-aa-com-tr.translate.goog/tr/yasam/otizmli-oglu-icin-isini-birakan-anne-onu-basarili-bir-sporcuya-donusturdu/3562830?\_x\_tr\_sl=en&\_x\_tr\_tl=tr&\_x\_tr\_hl=tr&\_x\_tr\_pto=tc&\_x\_tr\_hist=true 2. Anadolu Ajansı. "Otizmli ultra maraton yüzücüsü Tuna Tunca, Kuzey Kanalı'nı geçti." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://f.aa.com.tr/tr/spor/otizmli-ultra-maraton-yuzucusu-tuna-tunca-kuzey-kanalini-gecti/4008773 3. Anadolu Ajansı. "Tuna Tunca, Manş Denizi'ni geçen ilk otizmli Türk sporcu oldu." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/spor/tuna-tunca-mans-denizini-gecen-ilk-otizmli-turk-sporcu-oldu/3597183 4. Gazete Oksijen. "Otizmli ultra maraton yüzücüsü Tuna Tunca, Kuzey Kanalı'nı geçti." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://gazeteoksijen.com/spor/otizmli-ultra-maraton-yuzucusu-tuna-tunca-kuzey-kanalini-gecti-283650 5. beIN SPORTS Türkiye. "Tuna Tunca, Cebelitarık Boğazı'nı geçen otizmli ilk Türk sporcu oldu." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://beinsports.com.tr/haber/tuna-tunca-cebelitarik-bogazini-gecen-otizmli-ilk-turk-sporcu-oldu 6. İzmir Büyükşehir Municipality. "Tuna Tunca Türkiye’nin gururu oldu." Accessed July 27, 2026. https://www.izmir.bel.tr/tr/Haberler/tuna-tunca-turkiye-nin-gururu-oldu/57263/156