Neil Agius aims to become first person to swim around Maltese archipelago
Neil Agius was defeated by a swarm of jellyfish in his last attempt to make history – but he is returning to the waters again for another huge challenge.
The ultra-endurance swimmer hopes to become the first person to swim around Malta, Gozo and Comino, while breaking his own open water world record.
“This is the first time anyone has ever attempted to swim around the entire Maltese archipelago, and it is the first time that I will be attempting to set a new world record right here at home,” Agius told a news conference yesterday.
The ex-Olympian plans to swim non-stop for 70 hours as he covers the 160 kilometre route (99 miles) and break his current world record for the longest non-stop, unassisted, current neutral sea swim.
He plans to attempt the swim during the second half of September, weather permitting.
It is the first time he has attempted to swim towards the end of summer, a choice partly driven by concerns about jellyfish.
In June last year, Agius was forced to abandon a 100-mile swim between Mallorca and
Ibiza after he was stung 60 times.
“It was like I was transported into an aquarium of jellyfish,” he recalled at the event at Ta’ Xbiex Waterpolo Club.
Dubbed the Small Island Big Challenge, he hopes to beat his 2021 open water swimming record when he completed a 50-hour, 124km (77 miles) swim from Linosa to Gozo.
Gordon Bugeja, the swim’s logistics director, said Agius’s biggest challenge will be the weather. He will train for 10 hours four times a week during the intense Maltese summer heat and have to tackle strong currents, while avoiding ferries and leisure boats.
He also uses a mindfulness technique called ‘The Ocean Mindset’ to help him prepare for the mental and emotional aspects of the challenge.
Agius is using the swim to raise awareness about the state of Malta’s marine habitat to inspire collective commitment to protecting the Mediterranean Sea.
I hope we can see how essential clean seas are to our survival
“We are surrounded by water as an island, and I hope we can see how essential clean seas are to our survival, well-being, and the unique beauty of our Islands,” Agius added.
NGO Wave of Change, which Agius founded, is teaming up with marine clean-up experts Żibel for a series of projects tied to the swim including coastal cleanups the public will be invited to take part in.
The challenge is also supported by Go Mobile, VisitMalta, Atlas Insurance, Cisk 0.0, Kia, Garmin and Maypole.