Swam 100 km Around Brač and Raised €30,338
Stjepan Lukšić's swimming ultramarathon provided two and a half years of psychotherapy support for cancer patients and their families on the island.
Stjepan Lukšić's swimming ultramarathon provided two and a half years of psychotherapy support for cancer patients and their families on the island.
Stjepan Lukšić achieved both goals he set out to accomplish in his swimming ultramarathon "Brač 100K": he swam a full circle around his island and raised €30,338.83 for the oncology association More snage Brač. The funds will be used to pay for a psychotherapist who will work with groups of cancer patients and their families, covering 30 months of continuous support.
The ultramarathon began as Stjepan's personal athletic challenge. After swimming the 15-kilometer stretch of the Brač Channel from Split to Supetar last year, he decided to raise the bar and swim around the entire island in ten days, covering 100 kilometers.
During more than 40 hours spent in the water, he had to overcome various obstacles, including large waves and increasing fatigue that became more pronounced. Despite it all, neither physical nor mental strain managed to deter him from his goal. Every stroke carried an important message: that those living on the island and battling a serious illness do not have to face their darkest moments alone.
Ivana Maričić, president of the cancer patients' and survivors' association More snage Brač, emphasized how crucial this kind of help is for the island community.
"Facing a diagnosis is hard enough on its own, and when you live on an island, that struggle often brings additional challenges-from traveling for check-ups and treatments to a lack of nearby support. That's why it's important for cancer patients to be able to get at least part of the help they need here, in their own community. Through his feat, Stjepan opened up a conversation about a need that exists among our fellow citizens, and the funds raised will change many lives on Brač," Maričić said.
The campaign brought together residents from across the island and beyond. As he finished each leg, he was greeted with special enthusiasm, and in the water, amateurs and athletes joined him, while others ran or cycled alongside him, with support coming from all sides. People showed him daily, in various ways, that the entire community stood behind this endeavor.
That energy ultimately translated into a concrete result: €30,338.83 in donations, enough for two and a half years of psychotherapy support for cancer patients and their families.
"When I started, I thought I would be the one pushing my own limits. In the end, it was all the people who got involved who pushed them. I hoped we'd raise enough for a year of psychological support, and I would have been overjoyed to reach that goal. The final amount exceeded all expectations. I'm proud that together we turned a sporting idea into something that will support people on Brač long after my swim ended," Stjepan Lukšić said.
