Maltese Swimmer Breaks Record for Longest Sea Swim
Shortly after 9 a.m. on September 21, Neil Agius stepped into the water at a beach in his home country of Malta. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began swimming.
He did not stop swimming until about 9:30 p.m. on September 23. That's three sunsets, two sunrises and more than 60 hours of non-stop swimming.
The 38-year-old swam a total of 142.3 kilometers around the Maltese islands in southern Europe. This was confirmed by the World Open Water Swimming Association as a world record for the longest unassisted and continuous sea swim.
Agius had no wetsuit, he didn't sleep, and he couldn't touch any boats or people. He took a 90-second break every 30 minutes, during which he could eat, drink and communicate with his crew.
Agius is no newcomer to the world of swimming. He represented Malta in the 2004 Olympics, and in 2021 he completed what was then believed to be the longest continuous sea swim — just over 125 kilometers.
To prepare for his record-breaking swim, Agius not only had to train his body but also his mind. He developed what he calls the "Ocean Mindset" toolkit, which combines mindfulness and other techniques to keep his mind focused.
During the swim, he kept his focus by counting strokes: 42 strokes every minute, on repeat.
In an Instagram post, Agius said the swim was more about "learning to accept the beauty of the journey, rather than the destination."
"Once the importance of completing the swim is diminished, everything changes. And that really gives you maximum fulfillment," he added.
But Agius did not only take on this challenge for himself. In 2021, he founded Wave of Change, an organization that aims to bring about change on an environmental, societal and personal level.
"This swim is a testament to human resilience, and it's a message to the world," Agius said. "If we can face the toughest of seas and prevail, we can take on the toughest challenges our planet faces, too. Together, there's nothing we can't achieve."
