Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537589
5 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 18 JULY 2025 NEWS World record holder Neil Agius's next swim challenge is the Gozo 7 NEIL Agius, world record hold- er and endurance swimmer, has announced his most ex- treme challenge yet The Gozo 7 a World First Swim Challenge spotlighting the island of Gozo. From 31 August to 6 Septem- ber 2025, Neil will take on his most demanding feat yet: swim- ming around Gozo every day for seven consecutive days. Each day, Agius will swim approxi- mately 42 kilometres, the length of a marathon, spending up to 15 hours in the open sea. "This swim isn't just about en- durance," says Agius. "It's about life. We all have those days that feel long and intense. We wake up, facing the demands of the day and find ways to keep go- ing, even when it feels heavy or impossible. We all go through them, parents, students, CEOs, freelancers. This challenge is a reminder that there are tools to help us through, that even on the darkest days, we can find ways to keep going, to breathe, move, and lean on those around us." Agius said the start and end of every swim represents a day in anyone's life. Agius's mission is simple: to turn his most extreme test, The Gozo 7, into a guide for everyday life, proving that the same simple tools, breathwork, movement and community that will carry him through the hardest swim of his life can help others through the hardest days of theirs. Designed to fail, backed by science The Gozo 7 is designed for Agius to fail. It's built to push him beyond his known limits, to the point of complete ex- haustion. But this isn't about proving physical endurance and strength. It's about understand- ing what happens when we de- liberately take ourselves to the edge and how we can recover, reset, and show up again the next day. To capture this, Agius will be followed closely by a science team. Each day, a series of tests and evaluations will track how his body and mind respond to extreme stress and recovery. These daily assessments will monitor physical exhaustion, cognitive function, and emo- tional wellbeing. The science programme will explore the impact of breath- work, movement, nutrition, and recovery on attention span, fo- cus, physical fitness, and overall resilience, giving insights into what helps people perform at their best even under sustained pressure. This isn't just about endur- ance, it's a live experiment to uncover how simple, accessi- ble tools can help anyone get through life's most demanding days. The Ocean Mindset Over the last 8 years, Neil has designed a toolkit, The Ocean Mindset, which underpins The Gozo 7. The Ocean Mindset is rooted in three core beliefs that were inspired and put to the test during his past and upcoming ex- peditions: • Breathwork: calming the mind, building resilience, and finding focus under pressure. • Movement: connecting to your body's strength, flow, and ability to adapt. • Community: surrounding yourself with people who support and motivate you. Throughout The Gozo 7, a ded- icated science team will track how these practices, combined with nutrition and recovery, impact Neil's performance and well-be- ing. Why Gozo? Since finishing his world re- cord swim in Xlendi Bay in 2021, Neil has felt a deep connection to Gozo. The Gozo 7 celebrates the island's rich heritage and stunning coastline, telling its story through the sea while honouring Malta's identity as a nation shaped by wa- ter. More than an extreme feat "The Ocean Mindset isn't about pushing past your limits. It's about knowing yourself and finding ways to thrive through breath- work, movement, and the power of community," says Agius. Through The Gozo 7, Agius hopes to inspire everyone to face life's toughest days with a little more resilience and a lot more heart. Agius's partners are an essential part of this journey. The Gozo 7 is supported by our main partner GO. As well as VisitMalta, Visit- Gozo, Kia, Maypole, Rise Physio, Bon Charge, BodyWorks, and fuelled by Dr Juice, who all play a role in making this ambitious challenge possible.