« There was significant shrinkage! » – George Costanza
What is the recommended attire for an arctic swim? When Lewis Pugh plunges into icy waters, he is clad in only a Speedo, a bathing cap and swimming goggles.
Also known as The Human Polar Bear, Lewis Pugh is the only person in the world to have completed long distance swims in every ocean. Some of these swims include a 204K swim in Norway down the longest fjord in the world and a 100K tour around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. But Lewis Pugh’s most remarkable accomplishments are his record swims in the frigid Arctic Ocean.
Researchers in Chicago have performed tests on Lewis and have determined that he is the only known person capable to control his own body temperature. Before he dives into near freezing waters, part of Pugh’s preparation involves listening to music while doing visualization exercises. By the time he takes his plunge, Lewis’s body temperature is several degrees Celsius higher, thus allowing his body to withstand the cold for a longer period of time. On his record-breaking swim in the Arctic, Lewis completed the one kilometer distance in just over eighteen minutes. After the swim, Lewis admitted that he wanted to abandon the attempt on every stroke. The North Pole waters made his swims in Antarctica feel like a dip in a Club-Med pool.
This month, Lewis will do a swim under the summit of Mount Everest at approximately 5300 meters. The purpose of this Monumental Effort is to call attention to how climate change is affecting the Himalayan region. On his website Pugh claims: “We are living in a global environment. What happens in one part of the world will directly impact other parts. We must stop arguing about whether China, the USA or the EU should act first. Given the urgency every country needs to put in place every solution at its disposal.”
A graduate from Cambridge University, Lewis lives in London, England where he worked as a maritime lawyer for several years. Nowadays, when not training for his next polar dip, Lewis travels the World sharing his message about the fragility of our planet and campaigning world leaders on the importance of slowing climate change. Every year, Pugh gives over one hundred motivational and inspiring speeches at various conferences. His topics range from leadership, to goal setting and overcoming obstacles, and of course suggestions for protecting the environment.
Read more at: http://www.lewispugh.com/
The story of Lewis Pugh was recommended to us by a friend and subscriber to Monumental Effort. Coach V read this story in an edition of Reader’s Digest magazine and shared this issue with us. If you have an M.E. story (or if you have an idea that we could research for you), please share it by clicking the “submit your story” tab at the top of the page.
Gotta run,
Vince
