Lewis Pugh is an endurance swimmer and ocean advocate.
For nearly 40 years, he has pioneered swims in some of the most fragile and threatened environments, from the North Pole to Antarctica, and from the Himalayas to the great rivers of the world.
Each swim is undertaken to draw attention to places that are changing rapidly, and to help secure their future.
To support this work, he founded the Lewis Pugh Foundation to turn awareness into lasting protection. The Foundation works with governments, scientists and local communities, and it has helped protect more than 3.5 million square kilometres of vulnerable ocean — an area larger than Western Europe.
Lewis has served as UNEP Patron of the Oceans since 2013. In this role, he has been a leading voice for oceans and rivers, and for the wildlife and people that depend on them.
