Achievements

I’ve been swimming for 35 years, pioneering swims in the most vulnerable ecosystems to get them protected.
Which was the hardest, which was the most memorable? Three swims stand out.
The first was my swim across the North Pole to highlight the melting of the Arctic sea ice. The water was minus 1.7°C. Nobody had ever swum in such cold temperatures before. I wasn’t even sure I would come out alive. So that required a deep conviction that what I was swimming for was the defining issue of our generation.
The second swim was in the Ross Sea in Antarctica. It led directly to the creation of the largest Marine Protected Area in the world. The day this was announced was the happiest of my life.
And lastly, my swim along the length of the English Channel. The 528 km swim pushed me to my absolute limit. However, it kick-started the largest conservation drive in history. After the swim, the UK agreed to support our campaign to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, and called on other nations to do the same. Thus far, 74 nations have pledged their commitment, with more joining all the time.
Below are some of the other swims I have undertaken, and honours I’ve received.
Swims
