Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Speedo sponsored Lewis Gordon Pugh
completes first swim on Mt. Everest
British endurance swimmer and environmental campaigner Lewis Gordon Pugh has
become the first person to complete a long distance swim under the summit of
Mount Everest, it was announced on May 23, 2010.
Pugh completed the 1km swim in icy cold 2 degree waters across a glacial lake
adjacent to the Khumbu Glacier in a time of 22 minutes and 51 seconds. The Pumori
Lake is situated at an altitude of 5,300 metres. He undertook the record-breaking swim to
draw attention to the melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas and the impact of declining
water supplies in the region.
He swam in just a pair of Speedo briefs, cap and goggles after three days of test swims
and continuing battles with altitude sickness.
Pugh said: “It’s one of the hardest swims I’ve ever undertaken. When I swam in Antarctica
and across the North Pole I swam with speed and aggression but on Mount Everest you
can’t use the same tactics. Because of the altitude you need to swim very slowly and
deliberately. Swimming 20 metres at full speed in the test swim, I felt I was going to drown.
I was gasping for air and if I had swum any faster I would have gone under. I was deeply
concerned that I wouldn’t make 1km and I’m delighted that I’ve finally achieved it.
“I learned that I had to respect this unique terrain and swim as slowly as possible - I had
to swim breast stroke so that I could breathe more efficiently. I had to find a delicate
balance between going too fast (in which case I might drown due to hyperventilation) and
going too slowly (in which case I might die of hypothermia).
“Even getting to the lake was an ordeal. We have been trekking for two weeks to get to our
base camp at Gorak Shep (Place of the Ravens). From there to the glacial lake it was a
lengthy scramble over rocks and boulders.
“All along the Khumbu Glacier I’ve seen pools of melted ice. Millions of people rely on
this water and preserving this water supply is vital to peace in the region. That is why I
was so determined to draw attention to this critical issue by undertaking a “Swim for
Peace” under the summit of Mount Everest.
“Before I set off for Mount Everest I watched the election debates in Britain with great
interest. Climate change and the environment did not feature significantly. I would urge
leaders both in Britain and worldwide to put climate change at the very top of their agendas.
I have seen glaciers in the Arctic, the Alps, Central Africa, Antarctica and the Himalayas -
and it’s the same story everywhere. Most glaciers are melting away. The glaciers in the
Himalayas are not just ice. They are a lifeline – they provide water to approximately two
billion people.”
Pugh has spent the past eight months preparing for this swim and set off on his journey
on May 5th. Preparations included completing the first ever swim across Lake Imja en
route to Mount Everest (altitude 5,010 metres). Lake Imja, which was first seen around
1958, is now over 2 kilometres long, due to the melting of the Imja Glacier.
Notes to Editors:
Lewis was the first person to swim across the North Pole in July 2007 to draw attention to
the melting sea ice. The 1km swim, across an open patch of sea, took 18 minutes and
50 seconds in freezing temperatures of minus 1.7 centigrade – the coldest water a human
has ever swum in.
In 2006, Lewis swam the entire length of the River Thames (350km), which had stopped
flowing, to highlight the impact of the drought in the UK.
In February 2007 he swam across the width of the Maldives, a distance of some 87 miles,
to raise awareness about the impact of rising sea levels on the lowest islands in the world.
In 2010, he was appointed a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum in
recognition of his “commitment to society and the potential to contribute to shaping the
world through inspiring leadership”.
Lewis will be attending the Speedo Store, 41-43 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London
WC2H 9PJ- on June 1st to sign copies of his book, ‘Achieving the Impossible’
at 17.30hrs.
Follow Lewis on www.twitter.com/speedo_global and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/speedo. Videos of lewis can also be found at www.youtube.com/speedointernational.
-ends-
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