60-Mile Shark Swim: How Lewis Pugh Toughs It Out to Save Our Oceans, EP 280

Champion's Mojo for Masters Swimmers

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16d ago 53:47

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On May 26, 2025, Lewis Pugh completed one of his most daring feats yet — a 60-mile swim around Martha’s Vineyard in icy, shark-filled waters. Undertaken to coincide with the 50th anniversary of movie Jaws, Lewis’s swim was a powerful statement to change the narrative about sharks and raise urgent awareness for ocean conservation. While this swim captured headlines, the deeper story lies in Lewis’s relentless mission to protect our planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

In this powerful re-release of one of our most inspiring conversations to date, Lewis reveals what truly drives him to swim in the world’s most extreme conditions — from the North Pole to Antarctica — and how he uses courage, purpose, and diplomacy to create real change. If you want to understand how one person can push past fear, endure the impossible, and help save the oceans, this is the interview you need to hear.

Lewis Pugh, the UN Patron of the Oceans and only person to complete long-distance swims in every ocean on Earth, shares his extraordinary journey of swimming in Earth's most extreme waters to raise awareness for ocean protection and climate change. Through his pioneering "speedo diplomacy," Lewis has helped create marine protected areas covering approximately two million square kilometers while developing powerful mindsets for facing seemingly impossible challenges.
• Swimming in sub-zero waters where "every part of you says get out immediately"
• Using extreme cold water swims to demonstrate the reality of climate change
• Following the Japanese martial arts concept of "shuhari" to master swimming and advocacy
• Creating marine protected areas like "national parks for the oceans"
• Applying "speedo diplomacy" to influence government policies on ocean conservation
• Building self-belief by "stacking" different sources of confidence before difficult challenges
• Finding your purpose by "drilling deep" until you discover what you were truly meant to do
• Using "fuss bait" (holding tight) when facing life's most difficult challenges
• Taking responsibility as swimmers to be stewards for ocean protection
Lewis believes we have a duty to protect this magnificent place for our children and grandchildren, and if people do that, then we have a future.

Whether you're a competitive swimmer, an environmental advocate, or simply someone searching for purpose, Lewis Pugh's journey offers profound inspiration. Listen now to discover how courage can be trained like a muscle, how persistence can change the world, and how finding your purpose can transform the seemingly impossible into reality.
Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

Chapters

1. The Death Zone: Swimming in Extreme Cold (00:00:00)

2. Lewis Pugh: Pioneer of Ocean Conservation (00:07:26)

3. Mastering Courage as a Muscle (00:13:38)

4. Speedo Diplomacy: Swimming for Change (00:20:58)

5. Creating Ocean National Parks (00:27:55)

6. Stacking Self-Belief and Finding Purpose (00:39:46)

7. Fuss Bait: The Power of Persistence (00:46:38)

8. Speed Round: Getting to Know Lewis (00:52:33)

281 episodes

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