In late May 2023, Yuliia Rudiuk took up swimming with one clear goal: swim 2 km at Oceanman Kyiv.
After those first two kilometres, she did not want to stop. That same year she swam 5 km at Freedom Splash and another 5 km in Ibiza. Then came a new dream: to swim ten.
In 2024 she made that dream real at Oceanman Kyiv. She trained for her first 10 km with Dmytro Burakov. Their swims together would grow into something bigger.
Six hours in the water
In 2025, Yuliia and Dmytro entered the six-hour Crazy Challenge. Yuliia swam 15 km and placed third among women. Dmytro covered 17 km and took first place among men.
After six hours of swimming, a rest might have seemed like a good idea. Instead, Yuliia and Dmytro became curious about a new format: a relay that keeps going for a full day.
Six people became Zhabkolapky
In autumn 2025, they assembled a team to train for the 24-hour Crazy Challenge. There were six at first: four veterans and two civilian swimmers. That was the beginning of Zhabkolapky.
For Yuliia, it matters that this is one community. Veterans, service members and civilians train together, prepare for the same races, joke, argue about technique and support each other through the final metres.
In winter 2026, the team swam 62.1 km in 24 hours at Crazy Challenge and finished fifth of nine teams. Yuliia’s individual result was 12 km in four hours. In summer, Zhabkolapky returned to a 24-hour open-water event with two teams.
The next distances
At Oceanman Kyiv 2026, Yuliia swam 10 km again, then joined other Zhabkolapky swimmers for another 2 km. At Svitiaz Wave, she covered 1.9 km in 41:32 and placed second among women.
Between training sessions and races, Yuliia dreams up new adventures for the team, finds opportunities for Zhabkolapky and brings together people who want to swim alongside one another.
Her first goal was two kilometres. Then ten. Now one of her dreams is to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. Knowing Yuliia, she will probably have a few more ideas for the whole team along the way 😅