'I'm super happy with everything that happened' - Neil Agius celebrates his epic 140km non-stop swim around Malta and Gozo
The local swimmer and his team have spent months planning this feat, under the tagline 'Small Island, Big Swim'
Long-distance swimmer Neil Agius has consistently impressed Malta with his remarkable determination, and last night, he achieved his ultimate feat—breaking the world record for the longest continuous, unassisted swim in open water. The ultra-distance swimmer swam over 140km around Malta and Gozo in 60 hours, solidifying his place in history.
This morning, he shared his initial reflections on the extraordinary achievement, expressing his joy at how the challenge unfolded and his immense pride in his support team, who skillfully navigated through a storm while attending to his every need.
The team is now awaiting confirmation of the total distance covered by Neil's path, which they're projecting to be between 142 and 144 kilometres, following which a ratification process will take place to confirm that Neil has indeed broken the world record.
Neil also shared some of the physical difficulties he's currently experiencing, such as swollen lips and difficulty swallowing due to ulcers that have emerged all over his mouth, due to the extended period of time spent in the sea.
He profusely thanked all those who supported him through this incredible challenge, saying that although his swim is over 'the journey of the community is just beginning'.
The conditions required for this to count as a world record are non-stop swimming, no touching the boat, no smart watches and no wetsuit. This created the need for a lot of planning, for instance the creation of Doris, the custom feeder created by Neil’s team used to transport his 48 meals a day.
The swimmer began his gruelling journey on Saturday morning from Ghadira, covering 25km in almost 9 hours as he swam into his first sunset. By the early hours of his second day of swimming, Neil Agius had already covered a whopping 58km around the perimeter of Malta, and began to cross over to the sister island. He reached the halfway mark by Sunday afternoon, reaching the northernmost point of Gozo’s perimeter before beginning his way back down to Malta yesterday, finally reaching Ghar Lapsi at approximately 11pm last night.
Locals and internationals have been following Neil’s journey with bated breath, thanks to the regular updates posted by the swimmer’s loyal team who spent the entire time ensuring he got everything he needed, from nutrition to guidance to continuous encouragement.
Have you been following this incredible feat?