Famous boxer and Olympic champion Muhammad Ali once said, “I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count.”

Ali’s quote was called to mind when UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh tweeted something similar along his journey down the Hudson River, “Today, I passed the 200-mile mark on the #HudsonSwim 2023. But with fatigue setting in, the real swim is just starting.”

Open water swimmers often say that marathon swimming is 80% mental and only 20% physical. It is a very cerebral sport when many internal conversations and debates are held with(in) oneself. Pugh seems to be at that point in the Hudson Swim.

He explains his Hudson Swim, “I’ve had to traverse 8 different locks. I’ve run around seven of them, but with the last one, I was allowed to swim through it.”

To follow Pugh, visit here. After 100 miles, his face shows effort, commitment, and a desire to keep on swimming the entire 507 km distance to New York City.

© 2023 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shore“