Lewis Pugh saves the ocean, one swim at a time
“Let’s stop fighting. And start giving our seas a fighting chance.” - Lewis Pugh.
Imagine standing at the top of a glacier, looking down into the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean knowing that when you’re no longer airborne from the plunge that you're about to take, this is the fate that awaits you…
Why would you do this? And what goes through your mind before you take the leap?
When Lewis Pugh, a leading figure in efforts to protect the world’s oceans, talks about those final seconds before taking the leap he recalls having one crippling thought: “If things don’t go according to plan now, how long is it going to take for my frozen body to sink the 4.5km to the bottom of the ocean?” In that split second of panic turns to his coach for advice. He remembers saying “if things don’t go according to plan, don’t let me do the full kilometre, pull me out at 500 metres,” but the coach refused to allow Lewis to give in and offers some solid advice instead. He said that if he’s going to jump into the ocean prepared to do the 1km, but also has it in the back of his mind that the 500m is an option, he will be confusing his subconscious into preparing for both victory and defeat at the same time.
Defeat was never an option...
Listen to the full interview with the extraordinary Lewis Pugh here:
Lewis Pugh is a leading figure in efforts to protect the world’s oceans. Over a period of 27 years, he has pioneered swims in the most hostile waters on earth. In 2007 his swim across an open patch of sea at the North Pole to highlight the melting of the Arctic sea ice was global news, as was his 2010 swim across a newly formed glacial lake on Mount Everest which drew significant attention to the impact of climate change in the Himalayas.
Details of all swims are as follows:
9th August, Monte Carlo, Monaco – Mediterranean Sea 10km Swim – 3 hours and 33 minutes
12th August, Zadar, Croatia (Kornati Islands) – Adriatic Sea 10km Swim – 3 hours and 55 minutes
16th August, Athens, Greece – Aegean Sea 10km Swim – 3 hours and 12 minutes
19th August, Istanbul, Turkey – Black Sea 10km Swim – 2 hours and 48 minutes
21st August, Aqaba, Jordan (Aqaba Marine Park to Tala Bay) – Red Sea 10km Swim – 2 hours and 57 minutes
25th August, Rass Al Hadd, Oman – Arabian Sea 10km Swim – 3 hours and 15 minutes
28th-29th August, London, UK (South End to Thames Barrier) – North Sea 60km Swim – 8hrs and 12 minutes
Seven Swims in the Seven Seas for 1 Reason is being supported by The Living Oceans Foundation, SEACOM and The Oak Foundation.
Follow Lewis’s progress via his website, www.lewispugh.com Twitter @LewisPugh #7Swims and Facebook – Lewis Pugh.
