Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Photos are courtesy of Kelvin Trautman.
What he started on August 9th, Lewis Pugh finished yesterday.
Lewis Pugh completed his seventh and final leg of his Seven Swims In The Seven Seas For 1 Reason yesterday. After swimming 20 km on three consecutive days in rough conditions in the North Sea, he finished his adventure and campaign at the Thames Barrier.
The amount of local support, government official acknowledgement and media exposure was significant. While the seven swims in the Seven Seas was an unprecedented series of marathon swims starting on August 9th and finishing on August 29th, the swims merely served as the backdrop to Pugh’s ultimate goal.
His underlying goal was to draw attention to the plight of the marine environment of the Seven Seas and serve as a catalyst to encourage governments and authorities to create more Marine Protected Areas.
Judging from the support and media exposure, in addition to the seven successful swims in the Mediterranean Sea (10 km in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 3 hours 33 minutes), the Adriatic Sea (10 km in Zadar, Croatia in 3 hours 55 minutes), the Aegean Sea (10 km in Athens, Greece in 3 hours 12 minutes), the Black Sea (10 km in Istanbul, Turkey in 2 hours 48 minutes), the Red Sea (15 km in Aqaba, Jordan in 2 hours 57 minutes), the Arabian Sea (10 km in Rass Al Hadd, Oman in 3 hours 15 minutes), and a 60 km stage swim in the North Sea ending in London, United Kingdom.
in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 3 hours 33 minutes, 10 km in the Adriatic Sea in Zadar, Croatia in 3 hours 55 minutes, 10 km in the Aegean Sea in Athens, Greece in 3 hours 12 minutes, 10 km in the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey in 2 hours 48 minutes, 15 km in the Red Sea in Aqaba, Jordan in 2 hours 57 minutes, 10 km in the Arabian Sea in Rass Al Hadd, Oman in 3 hours 15 minutes, and the North Sea (60 km stage swim in the Thames), it was an outstanding success.
The seven swims themselves were a difficult enough challenge, but to coordinate all the different crews and logistics teams in seven countries within 20 days as well as balance the plethora of media interviews and governmental interactions meant that sleep was at a minimum and the physical exhaustion was extreme. “Four hours a night of sleep for a month have taken their toll. Going to have a long sleep now,” said Pugh.
But his goals – for the good of the oceans – were envisioned, set, organized and achieved.
Additional articles on the Seven Swims In The Seven Seas For 1 Reason are here:
* Seven Swims In The Seven Seas – 1 Reason, 1 Down
* Seven Swims In The Seven Seas – 1 Reason, 2 Down
* Seven Swims In The Seven Seas – 1 Reason, 6 Down
* Seven Swims In The Seven Seas For 1 Reason
* The Ancient Seven Seas And 1 Modern Mariner
* The Heavy Demands On Land Along The Seven Seas
* Going Solo Needs Teamwork
* The Sights And Sounds And Swims Of The Seven Seas
* Marine Life Nowhere To Be Seen
* 20 People Who Uplifted Open Water Swimming
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