Lewis Gordon Pugh is probably best known for becoming the first person to undertake a long distance swim across the Geographic North Pole in 2007 and has come to be known as “the Human Polar Bear”.
He studied law at the University of Cape Town and Cambridge University and then worked as a maritime lawyer in London. He always wanted to be a pioneer swimmer and to swim where no-one else had swum before, inspired by explorers such as Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, and Edmund Hillary
He has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer and is the only person to have completed a long distance swim in every ocean in the world.
He is a passionate environmental campaigner who has used his pioneering adventures to draw attention to issues such as climate change and pollution, and now spends his time public speaking and campagning to world leaders to protect the environment.
On May 22nd 2010 he swam 1 km across a glacial lake on Mt Everest, with a water temperature of 2 degrees, an altitude of 5,300m and the fact that fresh water is less buoyant than salt water made it one of the most difficult swims he has ever undetaken.
Lake Imja was first seen in 1958 and is now nealy 2km long due to the melting Imja Glacier.
“These glaciers are not just ice. They are a lifeline. They provide a constant water supply to some 2 billion people – nearly a third of the world’s population. The peoples of India, China, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Bhutan depend on the melt water from the Himalayan and Hindu Kush glaciers. But they are melting due to climate change. And without a regular supply of water, there is a real risk of instability in the region.
This is a plea to every nation, to do everything it can, to put a stop to climate change. We live in a global environment. What happens in one part of the world will impact every other part. And when it comes to cutting carbon emissions, we must stop arguing about whether China, the USA or the EU should act first. Given the urgency of the situation every country needs to put in place every solution at its disposal. There is no time for delay.”
– Lewis Pugh –
Read more on Lewis Pugh’s personal website…
“We stand at a critical point in the history of the planet and the steps which we take over the next few years will determine the future of the natural world and the sustainability of mankind.”
– Lewis Pugh –
“Conservation of the environment is no longer their problem or my problem but our problem”
– Lewis Pugh –
“Bodies heal themselves. What matters most is the state of your spirit.”
– Lewis Pugh –