IanFirst Person to Swim at the North Pole
October 24th 2007 12:09
Lewis Gordon Pugh (born 5 December 1969) is a British swimmer, polar explorer, environmentalist, motivational speaker and lawyer. He is known as the "Isbjørn" (the Ice Bear or Polar Bear) for his unique ability to withstand extreme cold. Pugh was the first person to complete a long distance swim at the Geographic North Pole. He was also the first person to complete a long distance swim in both the Arctic and the Antarctic and the first person to complete a long distance swim in all 5 oceans of the world (Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, Arctic and Southern). Over a period of 2 decades he has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history. All his swims, including those in polar regions, have been undertaken in just a Speedo, cap and goggles in accordance with Channel Swimming Association Rules.
In July 2007 Pugh became the first person to undertake a long distance swim at the Geographic North Pole. The 1 km swim, in minus 1.7°C water, took almost 19 minutes. Lewis was accompanied by his friend Jørgen Amundsen, a relative of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first man to walk to the South Pole. Pugh said, "It was without doubt the hardest swim of my life. There were many times that I thought of giving up but I will never give up infront of a Norwegian! There is just too much history between our two nations for that." He undertook the swim to raise awareness about the effects of climate change on the Arctic. Below are some pictures of this record breaking swim.
*These images used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.
**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Lewis Gordon Pugh.
In July 2007 Pugh became the first person to undertake a long distance swim at the Geographic North Pole. The 1 km swim, in minus 1.7°C water, took almost 19 minutes. Lewis was accompanied by his friend Jørgen Amundsen, a relative of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first man to walk to the South Pole. Pugh said, "It was without doubt the hardest swim of my life. There were many times that I thought of giving up but I will never give up infront of a Norwegian! There is just too much history between our two nations for that." He undertook the swim to raise awareness about the effects of climate change on the Arctic. Below are some pictures of this record breaking swim.
*These images used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.
**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Lewis Gordon Pugh.
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Comment by Susan Keeping
Excellent photographs and an interesting story!