Fancy a tough swim? Why not try endurance athlete Ross Edgley's latest challenge?
In the coming weeks, the British open water swimmer is taking on a historic first, aiming to swim around the entire Icelandic coastline in record time. That's more than 1,000 miles (1,610km) in no more than 100 days.
To complete his mammoth challenge, the 39-year-old will have to swim upwards of 18 miles (29km) a day in temperatures as low as 33.8°F (1°C) and choppy Nordic seas. He's likely to encounter wind gusts of up to 160 miles per hour (257kmph) and share the seas with killer whales.
Edgley forged a name for himself in 2018 by becoming the first and so far only person to swim all 1,780 miles (2,864km) around Great Britain. Last year, he completed the world's longest non-stop river swim, travelling a whopping 317 miles (510km) down Canada's Yukon River.
Edgley is taking on his latest crazy challenge to push the limits of human performance and aid in two 'pioneering' scientific studies.
While swimming, Ross will take water samples, which will be sent back to researchers at the University of Iceland and the University of Victoria (Canada) to monitor pollution levels.
He's also teamed up with the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland to help map biodiversity and monitor the creatures swimming alongside him off the Icelandic coast.
Ross explained his motivation behind this latest challenge, saying: "I grew up with my grandad telling me stories of great explorers navigating every fjord, bay, and beach for the first time in the late 9th century.
"Now I’m a little older, I would love to follow in their footsteps, but since I’m not much of a sailor, swimming around it seemed like the next logical choice.”
He adds: “But in all seriousness, Iceland is one of nature’s great masterpieces, and swimming around it represents a unique opportunity to fuse sport, adventure, and science.
"We’re working with some incredible researchers from the University of Iceland and the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute to conduct pioneering research that will help preserve and protect our oceans."
Christophe Pampoulie, research director of the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland, said: “Coastal areas are rarely studied in Iceland due to the lack of small research boats.
"The collection of environmental DNA by Ross and his team will drastically improve our knowledge on species distribution and biodiversity.”
Ross begins his challenge next week.
- The best changing robes: cocoon yourself post-swim in a protective layer
- The best water shoes: fast-draining, quick-drying and ready to take you from the shore to the sea
