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Swimmer Neil Agius just made history and broke a world record. The Maltese athlete swam around his native Malta and the islands of Gozo and and Comino for nearly three days straight. His mission, known as Small Island, Big Swim, resulted in the athlete swimming 142.3 kilometers (88.4 miles) in 60 hours 35 minutes and 4 seconds without stopping.
With the aim to break the record for the longest unassisted ocean swim—and break his previous record of 125.7 kilometers (78.1 miles) in 52 hours—Agius couldn't touch any person or boat of the many that followed him to provide him food and advice. He also didn't wear a wetsuit or a smart watch. While members of his crew took turns sleeping and taking breaks, Agius never stopped in the three days and two nights that it took for him to swim around Malta.
The key to his success was counting 42 strokes every minute, a rhythm he was initially prepared to keep for over 70 nonstop hours, thanks to his months of training. To keep him healthy and informed, his team communicated with him every 28 and a half minutes for a very short window of time.
While documenting his progress on social media, Agius' team wrote, “Every 28 minutes the team gets ready to give Neil the nutrition he needs and clearly communicate anything he needs to know within those 90 seconds…Neil never really stops swimming over the next 70 hours; even whilst eating or drinking.”
Having started the swimming challenge at 9:04 a.m. on September 21 at Mellieħa’s Għadira Bay in Malta, Agius made it to Għar Lapsi on the evening of September 23. Though the run was just shy of his initial goal of swimming nonstop for 70 hours, his feat is nothing short of amazing. “It was not a swim for me, it was a swim for Malta,” Agius said.
By the end of his historic run, the swimmer's body was definitely pushed to its limits. Barely able to climb the ladder at the end of his swim, he still emerged from the water without any help. In pain from all the nonstop swimming, he sat in a chair and waved at his fans. Swimming for such extended periods of time takes a toll in the body, and while Agius seemed almost recovered in the following days, he was still struggling with ulcers in his mouth and his nose's skin chipping off from the salt.
“This swim is a testament to human resilience, and it’s a message to the world,” Agius says, reflecting on his endeavor. “If we can face the toughest of seas and prevail, we can take on the toughest challenges our planet faces, too. Together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.”
Agius' incredible feat set a new record for the longest, unassisted, current-neutral ocean swim, which has now been officially ratified by the WOWSA Board Ratification Committee. To stay up to date with the devoted swimmer, you can follow Neil Agius on Instagram.
Neil Agius set a new record for the longest, unassisted, current-neutral ocean swim by swimming around his native Malta and Gozo.
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Agius swam over 142.3 kilometers (about 88 miles) in 60 hours 35 minutes and 4 seconds without stopping.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
With the aim to break the record for the longest unassisted ocean swim, Agius couldn't touch any person or boat of the many that followed him to provide him food and advice.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
The key to his success was counting 42 strokes every minute, a rhythm he was able to keep for nearly 3 days straight without sleeping, thanks to his months of training.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
After 60 hours of swimming, Agius made it to Għar Lapsi on September 23.
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“It was not a swim for me, it was a swim for Malta,” he said.
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Barely able to climb the ladder, he emerged from the water without help.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Now, Agius' historic swim has been officially ratified by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
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Neil Agius: Website | Instagram
h/t: [Times of Malta, WOWSA]
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