Athlete, clean seas activist Neil Agius to re-attempt world-record swim
Ultra-endurance athlete and clean seas activist Neil Agius on Thursday announced that he will be re-attempting a world record open water sea swim, this time circumventing all of Malta, Gozo, and Comino.Speaking at a press conference at the Ta' Xbiex
Ultra-endurance athlete and clean seas activist Neil Agius on Thursday announced that he will be re-attempting a world record open water sea swim, this time circumventing all of Malta, Gozo, and Comino.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ta' Xbiex Waterpolo Club, Agius said the challenge, expected to be held in the second half of September, will see him swim the open-sea route along the coastal waters of the entire Maltese archipelago, covering approximately 160km. The challenge is expected to take three days and will require an estimated 175,000 strokes.
The route is still being finalised, and will depend on weather conditions. If successful, Agius will break the current world record for the longest non-stop, unassisted, current neutral sea swim, which he himself holds. This will be Agius' first attempt at breaking the record after he was forced to abandon a similar swim in Spain last year. In September 2023, Agius required medical attention after he swam into a swarm of jellyfish spanning several kilometres off the coast of Mallorca.
Speaking at a press conference announcing the challenge, Agius said he would be attempting to swim for over 70 hours - no stopping, no sleeping.
Agius is using the swim to raise awareness about the state of Malta's marine habitat with the aim of inspiring collective commitment to protecting the Mediterranean Sea.
NGO Wave of Change, which Agius founded, is teaming up with marine clean-up experts Żibel for a series of initiatives tied to the swim. "Żibel will be coordinating three coastal clean-ups around the island, which the public is invited to join. The NGO will also be facilitating individual and smaller community clean ups through the use of designated Żibel Tribe bins, with all marine litter to be collected and managed by the NGO with the aim of making new sustainable products, making the initiatives fully circular. With over 149,500kgs of waste collected by Żibel, the problem is far from solved," a statement about the world record attempt read.
"With Żibels' impressive track record of clean-up operations in Malta together with Wave of Change's ability to mobilise the masses to take action and the spotlight Agius brings during his world record swims, the collaboration marks an exciting new chapter in community engagement on environmental issues in Malta. Wave of Change aims to foster collaborations with NGOs like Żibel and engage the community to take action towards the conservation of our marine environment through outreach programs and educational workshops. They also aim to bridge the gap between scientific research and ground realities, to get people to understand life underwater and to bring together all stakeholders to contribute towards achieving 30% protection of Malta's marine areas by 2030."
Speaking ahead of the swim, Agius said, "The Small Island Big Swim challenge is not just about setting a world record. More importantly, it is about highlighting the problem of pollution and pollutants in our seas and oceans."
Agius has been training intensively for months to prepare for the challenge, the statement read. "This is the first time Agius will be attempting a swim at the end of summer. His training is more intense than ever before, swimming for 10 hours approximately four times a week in the height of the Maltese summer heat."
Agius is supported by a team of around 25 volunteers and professionals made up of medics, swim observers, navigators, skippers and crew, motivators, media, and a nutritionist, who will ensure that he remains safe and healthy throughout the swim. "In anticipation of the swim he has worked with leading sleep deprivation experts, developed a specialised breathing technique, and prepared mentally for the challenges that such a lengthy challenge poses. The athlete has developed 'The Ocean Mindset', a mindfulness technique which has fuelled his current swim and these tools are being adopted and used by many of his current partners including GO Mobile, the lead partner powering this swim and all Neil's endeavours for the next three years."
The Small Island, Big Swim is also supported by VisitMalta, Atlas Insurance and Cisk 0.0, as well as Kia, Garmin and Maypole.
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