Lewis Pugh says he wants to swim until the last day of his life. Physical exhaustion and sleepers - rocks just below the surface of the water that are hard to see and can cause serious damage - will not deter him from completing another long distance swim that raises awareness about ocean and river health. At the time of writing, Lewis has been swimming for 24 days, covering just over 250 miles. That puts him on track to complete his 315-mile journey down New York’s Hudson River by September 13th, when he will come ashore at New York City’s Battery Park. Once his swim is complete he will address the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at Climate Week NYC.

Pugh is a British-born, South African-grown endurance swimmer, maritime lawyer and United Nations Patron of the Oceans. He is the first person to undertake a long-distance swim in each of the world’s oceans, and has traversed the English Channel and the Red Sea in an effort to shine a light on the health of Earth’s waterways. His efforts have led to the establishment of the largest Marine Protected Area in the world. On September 13th he will become the first person to successfully swim the entire length of the Hudson River unassisted. Despite his exhaustion he is enjoying the journey.

Lewis points to the deltoid muscle (inner shoulder area) noting how tender it is from the constant swimming. He says that when he feels really sore he flips over and does backstrokes to stretch out his muscles. But the physical toll is no match for the mental rejuvenation the trip down the Hudson is providing.

Lewis describes a river that is reviving after decades of pollution. Since departing from the river’s source at Lake Tear of the Clouds, Lewis has enjoyed swimming through the vibrant Adirondack wilderness. He says swimming there was a “15 out of 10 experience,” in large part thanks to the snakes, frogs, black bear and bald eagles he saw as he made his way downstream.

Lewis is particularly happy to see bald eagles - which he describes as “magnificent” - repopulating in the area. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), bald eagles maintain a threatened status in New York State despite their gradual increase in numbers over the past few decades. This is largely due to reproductive impairment from DDT pesticides entering their food and water supply, as well as hunting, and the destruction of their natural habitat.

Animal sightings serve as a reminder that the river is a shared home, and must be protected for the sake of all living beings. At a press conference at the Albany boat launch on August 29th, Lewis urged locals to take their children to the Adirondacks to see the river’s source at Lake Tear of the Clouds. He said that at its source, high up near Mt. Marcy, people can appreciate the humble beginnings of the mighty river.

Tiredness is actually one of the lesser concerns for Lewis. Like the magnificent birds, pollution is Lewis’s worst enemy on this swim. Despite the Clean Water Act’s passage in 1983, many of America’s waterways remain polluted. Reports show that 50% of all U.S. lakes and rivers are too polluted for swimming, let alone drinking. Globally the situation is even more critical. According to UNESCO, “90% of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated directly into water bodies.”

The Hudson River is much cleaner today than just a few decades ago thanks to EPA sponsored Superfund cleanup. Still, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remain in the river, and according to the EPA about three to five new ounces of PCBs enter the river every day through fractures in bedrock near GE Plants. This pollution is a major hazard for Lewis as he swims towards New York City.

He notes that when it comes to pollution, river swimming is actually more dangerous than ocean swimming. In the river, pollution is more concentrated and less avoidable. Thankfully, he has been able to rely on Riverkeeper - an organization founded in the late 60s by fishermen frustrated by pollution levels in the Hudson River - to track pollution levels up and down the river. Still, he says that he must be vigilant, and that he always “takes a breath and closes his mouth,” as he swims to avoid ingesting any sewage runoff.

The fact that sewage remains in our rivers and oceans is a threat to all living beings. Lewis says his message to the UN General Assembly is a simple one, “rivers are the arteries of our planet, we cannot have a healthy planet without healthy rivers, we must invest in them.” He adds, “you get the environment that you pay for, and when you invest you get clean water, clean air and a habitable planet.”

The exact opposite is taking place in Lewis’s home country. Reports from 2022 show that “no river in the U.K. was free of chemical contamination.” Brexit, COVID-19 and lack of investment have left Great Britain’s water treatment infrastructure on the brink of collapse. As such, the government has issued temporary waivers allowing water companies to release sewage into the nation’s waterways.

COVID-19 also spawned a movement to reconnect with nature as a means of getting outside and staying healthy. This increased the frequency of “wild swimming,” which could be done alone, but still provided great mental health benefits. But the more locals took the rivers the more they realized the levels of contamination across the country. River goers even began falling sick because of the pollution.

Having grown up in Plymouth, along the River Tamar, Lewis has always been part of a swimming community. He thinks the uptick in wild swimming is fantastic, but he knows the River Tamar is increasingly dirty, because it is “heavily used,” and raw sewage is dumped in it. He is happy to see people fight back against the sullying of their rivers, and notes that “people realize water is essential for life, it’s not an infinite resource and we’re polluting it.”

On his way down the Hudson, Lewis has been stopping to interact with local communities and share his mission of waterway protection. Speaking in Albany, he said “we’ve met so many people who are so proud of the work that has been done to clean up the river over many many years.” He has had the opportunity to speak with the Mayor of Albany and has swum with the President of Marist College and the U.K. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Barabara Woodward.

Each interaction highlights Lewis’s core message that a healthy world requires healthy rivers. However, nothing pleases Lewis more than seeing swimmers, kayakers and rowers along the river. He says it is “a joy to see kids swimming in the river after years of pollution,” noting that “this river gives us hope that one day with hard work and investment other rivers can be protected.”

His journey is also giving indigenous communities hope that their voices will once again be heard. On September 4th, Lewis stopped in Kingston to meet the people of the Ramapough Munsee Nation. There a special welcome ceremony was held, gifts were exchanged and there was time for reflection and conversation about “commitment to live at peace with each other and the planet.” Chief Vincent Mann says if he were to ask one thing of Lewis, it would be that he tells members of the UN about his journey and about the people whose voice is ignored.

From his current location until he reaches New York, Lewis will be fighting the tides, forcing him to swim at night. Incoming tides would push him back up the river, further from his destination so he must time his swim with the fastest section of the outgoing ones, which are often early in the morning, and in the evening after dark.

Lewis swims unassisted, meaning in just a swim cap, speedo and goggles. It is part of his way of staying connected with nature and feeling the body of water he is passing through. At night he adds a small light on the back of his head and on the back of his swimsuit. His team member paddling next to him also has light to help guide, although Lewis is clear that the light cannot be too bright or it ruins his night vision.

While swimming at night may seem scary, especially on a trafficked river, Lewis says he loves night swimming. It is a time at which he can look up at the stars and the moon and feel the tranquility of nature.

With his swim nearing its culmination it is only natural to begin thinking about the next adventure. Lewis says he tries to stay in the present when swimming, but admits he is always thinking about a new part of the world he can shine a light on. In the past he has done swims to raise awareness about coral bleaching, ice melting and pollution. He says he likes to shine a light on places that are far away, but impact all of us.

Where he will swim next only he knows. What is clear, is that he will continue to “highlight how important it is that we protect our oceans and we protect our rivers.” He says this will be his lifetime’s work. The animals, plants and people of any waterway he has touched thank him for it.