Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1524527
10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 26 JULY 2024 NEWS Athlete, clean seas activist Neil Agius to re-attempt world-record swim, circumnavigating Maltese islands ULTRA-ENDURANCE ath- lete and clean seas activist Neil Agius on Thursday an- nounced he will be re-at- tempting a world record open water sea swim, this time circumventing all of Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Speaking at a press con- ference at the Ta' Xbiex Waterpolo Club, Agius said the challenge, expected to be held in the second half of Sep- tember, will see him swim the open-sea route along the coast- al waters of the entire Maltese archipelago, covering approxi- mately 160km. The gruelling challenge is ex- pected to take three days and will require an estimated 175,000 strokes. The route is still being final- ised, and will depend on weather conditions. If successful, Agius will break the current world record for the longest non-stop, unassisted, current neutral sea swim, which he himself holds. This will be Agius' first attempt at breaking the record after he was forced to abandon a similar swim in Spain last year. In September 2023, Agius re- quired medical attention after he swam into a swarm of jelly- fish spanning several kilometres off the coast of Mallorca. Speaking at the press confer- ence, Agius said he would be attempting to swim for over 70 hours - no stopping, no sleeping. Swim powers marine clean ups Agius is using the swim to raise awareness about the state of Malta's marine habitat with the aim of inspiring collective com- mitment to protecting the Med- iterranean Sea. NGO Wave of Change, which Agius founded, is teaming up with marine clean-up experts Żibel for a series of initiatives tied to the swim. Żibel will be coordinating three coastal clean-ups around the is- land, which the public is invited to join. The NGO will also be facil- itating individual and smaller community clean ups through the use of designated Żibel Tribe bins, with all marine litter to be collected and managed by the NGO with the aim of making new sustainable products, mak- ing the initiatives fully circular. With over 149,500kgs of waste collected by Żibel, the problem is far from solved. With Żibels' impressive track record of clean-up operations in Malta together with Wave of Change's ability to mobilise the masses to take action and the spotlight Agius brings during his world record swims, the collab- oration marks an exciting new chapter in community engage- ment on environmental issues in Malta. Wave of Change aims to foster collaborations with NGOs like Żibel and engage the commu- nity to take action towards the conservation of our marine en- vironment through outreach programs and educational workshops. They also aim to bridge the gap between scientific research and ground realities, to get peo- ple to understand life under- water and to bring together all stakeholders to contribute to- wards achieving 30% protection of Malta's marine areas by 2030. Speaking ahead of the swim, Agius said, "The Small Island Big Swim challenge is not just about setting a world record. More importantly, it is about highlighting the problem of pol- lution and pollutants in our seas and oceans." In recent weeks Agius and the team at Wave of Change have been working closely with Żibel to develop a detailed action plan for the swim. Months of training Agius has been training inten- sively for months to prepare for the challenge. This is the first time Agius will be attempting a swim at the end of summer. His training is more intense than ever before, swimming for 10 hours approximately four times a week in the height of the Maltese summer heat, while still maintaining a full-time job. He is swimming for longer pe- riods under higher tension and pushing himself to reach his maximum capacity more often. Agius is supported by a team of around 25 volunteers and professionals made up of med- ics, swim observers, navigators, skippers and crew, motivators, media, and a nutritionist, who will ensure that he remains safe and healthy throughout the swim. In anticipation of the swim he has worked with leading sleep deprivation experts, developed a specialised breathing technique, and prepared mentally for the challenges that such a lengthy challenge poses. The athlete has developed 'The Ocean Mindset', a mindfulness technique which has fuelled his current swim and these tools are being adopted and used by many of his current partners including GO Mobile, the lead partner powering this swim and all Neil's endeavours for the next three years. GO teams will experience The Ocean Mindset for themselves and experience tools to manage stress, communicate more ef- fectively and take care of their wellbeing. The Small Island, Big Swim is also supported by VisitMalta, Atlas Insurance and Cisk 0.0, as well as Kia, Garmin and May- pole. Neil Agius will be re-attempting a world record open water sea swim, this time circumventing all of Malta, Gozo, and Comino Did you know? The village of Xewkija has a population of just over 3,000, but possesses a church big enough to fit all its residents inside. Xewkija Church's dome is 75 metres high and 27 metres wide – making it the third-largest unsupported dome in Europe, behind St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's Cathedral. 'Small Island, Big Swim' will power large-scale and community clean- ups.