Who is Ross Edgley and when he attempted the world’s longest swim?
HE became the first person in history to swim all the way around Great Britain.
Here is everything you need to know about extreme athlete Ross Edgley.
Who is Ross Edgley?
Ross Edgley is a British athlete, ultra-marathon sea swimmer and author.
He was born on October 13, 1985, into a sporting family in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Growing up he specialised in swimming and water polo and represented his country internationally at junior level.
He studied at King’s Grammar School in Grantham before gaining a scholarship to study at Loughborough University’s School of Sport and Exercise Science.
Edgley retired from international competition a year into his scholarship and decided to transition into ultra-distance sea swimming.
In 2019, he received an honorary doctorate from Bishop Grosseteste University for his research on mental and physical resilience.
When did Ross Edgley’s attempt the world’s longest swim?
In July 2023, Edgley attempted to do the world’s longest swim.
He had hoped to swim 171km non-stop in Lake Trasimeno, near Perugia, in Italy.
Speaking before the event, he said: “I’m excited, world record attempt number two and nine months since leaving the hospital.
“This will officially be the longest, unassisted, non-stop, open water swim in history, and will all be done in the name of ocean conservation as we finish what we started in Loch Ness, Scotland.”
However, his attempt was cut short due to the ‘brutal weather conditions’ causing a number of problems.
These included a risk of kidney damage, water hitting 33C, as a heatwave in the area.
When did Ross Edgley swim around Great Britain?
Back in 2018, Edgley completed the World’s Longest Staged Sea Swim.
He became the first person in history to swim 1,780 miles (2,860 km) around Great Britain.
During his swim, he endured 37 jellyfish stings, a rotting tongue, suspected torn shoulder and an open neck wound from chafing.
What would be amazing is to see people shift their own personal barometer on what they think is possible”
Ross Edgley
He completed it in 157 days with 2.3 million strokes and burned 504,732 calories.
He said when he first stepped out of the water: “Setting out, I knew the Great British Swim would be the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted. I can’t really believe we’ve done it.
“I was very naïve at the start of the whole thing, and there were moments where I really did begin to question myself.
“My feelings now are pride, tiredness and relief.”
What happened to Ross Edgley’s tongue?
During his swim around Great Britian, his tounge started disintergrating through the eroding effect of the salt water.
Marathon swimmers call it salt mouth – the effect of salt build up on the tongue and in the mouth and throat.
In an interview with The Guardian, Edgley said he realised something was wrong when he woke up with chunks of his tounge on his pillow.
“The flesh was translucent, but otherwise a lot like beef stroganoff or slow-cooked pork. “It’s that tender, you’re just pulling strips off,” he said. “You could see the tastebuds on it, it was that thick.”
What else has Ross Edgley achieved?
Edgley holds multiple world records.
However, he hopes that by achieving what seems impossible will inspire people to push themselves beyond their limits.
He said: “So many people told me it couldn’t be done – it’s impossible – and I was like, ‘I agree with you, in theory it looks like it can’t be done but I’m going to try’.
“Having done it now, what would be amazing is to see people shift their own personal barometer on what they think is possible.”
What is Ross Edgley’s books about?
Edgley has written four books: The World’s Fittest Book (2018), The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body (2020), Blueprint: Build a bulletproof body for extreme adventure in 365 days (2021) and The World’s Fittest Cookbook (2022).
All four became No.1 Sunday Times Bestsellers and have been translated into several other languages.
In the books, he documents his training, nutrition, theories and strategies.