NEW YORK – The Hudson River winds through forests and runs over rocks in the Adirondack Mountains before establishing a wide, slow stream closer to New York City. It extends 507 kilometers (315 miles) from its origin to its mouth. Lewis Pugh finished swimming it completely.
The 53-year-old endurance swimmer emerged from the water off the edge of lower Manhattan after a month-long journey, wearing only his swimsuit, cap and goggles.
He smiled and raised his fist in triumph as he walked out. Supporters who had gathered at the scene despite the drizzle in Battery Park erupted in applause.
“It’s incredibly difficult to swim for 30 days,” Pugh said at a news conference. “And yes, it wears you out enormously. But I can honestly say that I feel rejuvenated.”
A feat of several weeks
Pugh overcame fatigue and shoulder pain for several weeks. He dodged trawlers and garbage bags. And he insisted that the inconvenience was worth it to draw attention to the Hudson and the importance of clean rivers.
“Seeing the Statue of Liberty on the horizon and seeing its beautiful torch made me think that everything we value depends on us being able to drink clean water and breathe clean air and take care of our planet so that it is habitable,” he declared. “Rivers are the arteries of our planet.”
The Plymouth, England, resident has done other notable swims, including a 76-mile (123-kilometer) swim across the Red Sea and a 328-mile (528-kilometer) swim across the English Channel.
This is not the first time someone has swum the entire Hudson River. Christopher Swain did it in 2004. But while Swain wore a wetsuit, Pugh only wore a swimsuit, and generally tried to swim 10 miles (16 kilometers) a day.
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Official photograph of the United States swimming team going to London 2012.
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2023-09-15 01:06:00
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