The following article was written by FXTM staff writer Natasha Keary.
On a breezy morning in Sennen Cove, Cornwall, FXTM Brand Ambassador and UN Patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh prepares for the toughest swim of his life. The challenge ahead of him is a world-first – a cold, 560 kilometre swim of the entire length of the English Channel. Lewis will adhere to Channel Rules during his swim, facing the cold conditions and the swarms of jellyfish with just speedos, a swimming cap and goggles for protection.
At just after 6am on July 12th, Lewis began his journey. After a final handshake with FXTM’s Global Head of Marketing, Nandik Barbhaiya, he confidently strode into the sea and took on the marathon Long Swim. His swim is part of his driving mission to raise awareness for the desperate state of the oceans, and inspire the UK government to take urgent action now.
Lewis Pugh is an ocean advocate and seasoned endurance swimmer. Last year, he pushed himself to his very limits by swimming along the Arctic ice edge in sub-zero temperatures. In a one-kilometre sprint, Lewis teetered on the edge of pneumonia and risked his own life. He reports how a further minute, or even a further thirty seconds in the water, could have killed him. However, the near-death experience was not enough to break his focus. With FXTM’s support, the Long Swim sees Lewis return to cold waters and continue to swim for change.
Despite having taken on some of the Earth’s deadliest and coldest waters, Lewis ranks the Long Swim as one of the most difficult challenges of his career. The swim between Land’s End and Dover is expected to take Lewis 50 days to complete, and will lead him through perils including blooms of jellyfish on the way to the white cliffs.
The Long Swim marks the beginning of the Action for Oceans campaign for the UK to fully protect 30 per cent of its waters by 2030. Of the 750,000 square kilometres of waters surrounding the UK, only seven square kilometres are fully protected. Under the pressure of plastic pollution and overfishing, Lewis warns that the world is running out of time to repair the damage. The waters around the UK are already badly polluted and overfished, and the wealth of sea life and ecosystems in places like South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are severely under threat. The area, which Lewis terms the most important part of British soil, has just under two per cent of its waters marked as Marine Protected Areas. With more than 3 billion people depending on the sea for their livelihoods, damage to the world’s waters damages its inhabitants too.
On July 10th FXTM joined Lewis for the official Long Swim media launch event at the prestigious Civil Engineers Institute in London. FXTM’s CEO, Nicholas Defteras, described how FXTM and Lewis’ values align for the Long Swim partnership. The global, award-winning forex broker is built upon principals of informing, educating and making clients more conscientious. The same values compel Lewis on his journey across the Channel, as he informs those who follow him of the plight of the oceans. He shows courage by undertaking a swim never before completed, and encourages everyone to take the necessary action and courageously fight for ocean protection. FXTM is delighted to stand alongside him as lead partner on the journey for cleaner and fully protected oceans.
Lewis plans to swim 10 kilometres each day of the Long Swim. By the end, he anticipates being heavily sunburnt, freezing cold, covered in jellyfish stings and both physically and mentally exhausted. FXTM are proud to cheer him on as he shows great courage and determination for a noble cause.
Follow Lewis’ every stroke on this incredible journey with the #FXTMGoesBlue hashtag on social channels.
To read more about this partnership, please visit FXTM.
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