Lewis Pugh – Hudson River Swim 2023

Age: 53
Home: Plymouth, England
Wife: Antoinette Malherbe
Occupation: Maritime Lawyer and Environmental Advocate
Sports: Endurance Swimming; Running

By Kristen Hislop

I look for swims where I can carry a powerful message. No message, no swim. I don’t get wet now unless it’s for a reason. –Lewis Pugh

Many of Adirondack Sports readers recreate in the rivers and lakes in upstate New York. We have a fleeting thought about the quality of the water as we embark on the swim portion of a triathlon, pull out the paddleboard, wade in to fish or kayak some rapids. We are blessed with many clean freshwater lakes that feed the rivers that have carried us and supported our economies over the years. People have inhabited this area since the last ice age and for thousands of years tribes like the Lenape lived in harmony with the environment. 

In 1609 Henry Hudson first ventured up what is now known as the Hudson River. After him, many others came using the river as inspiration for art and power for industry. Those of us who live and play in the area know that over the years the pristine waters of the Hudson have been contaminated and polluted. 

In 1896 what would become the General Motors plant in North Tarrytown began making automobiles and, in the process, dumping industrial waste into the river. In the early 1900s the Anaconda Wire and Cable Company belched waste into the river. Further upstream, Penn Central Railroad was dumping oil and lubricants into the water, killing wildlife and tainting beaches. Paper mills along the Hudson discharged pulpy sludge in Rensselaer County, and in Newburgh, sprawling junkyards contaminated soil and river alike. Down in Manhattan, city sewers hauled tens of millions of gallons of sewage directly into the water.

Between 1947 and 1977, General Electric polluted the Hudson River by discharging polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) causing a range of harmful effects to wildlife and people who eat fish from the river. In 1972 the Clean Water Act made it illegal to discharge pollutants, whether liquids or solids, into waterways without permits. 

The environmental organization, Riverkeeper, has assessed the progress toward meeting the “swimmable” goal by measuring water quality in the Hudson and its tributaries. As of now about 80% of samples taken from the Hudson meet Environmental Protection Agency criteria for safe recreation. 

That’s good news for someone who says, “If we want healthy oceans, we also need healthy rivers – it’s that simple.” According to Lewis Pugh, the Hudson River is unique. At its source the crystal-clear waters support bears, beavers and venomous snakes. Then, 315 miles downstream is one of the most vibrant cities in the world and at the mouth, the Statue of Liberty. This is why Lewis has undertaken yet a record-breaking swim. The 53-year-old from Plymouth, England is swimming the length of the Hudson River.

He started on August 13th at Lake Tear of the Clouds in the Adirondacks. Over the course of a month, he will swim up to five hours a day; two hours at daybreak and another three before sundown. Where there are rapids and waterfalls, he will hit the river banks and run. On Sept. 13, he will complete the swim at Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan. 

As the United Nations Environment Programme Patron of the Oceans, he will arrive in time for the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit and Climate Week NYC 2023. As world leaders gather Lewis wants to show that, “the Hudson River is one river that can speak for all rivers.” As Lewis says, “the Hudson tells a story of how a river can be misused and damaged, then cared for by a citizenry passionate about turning the fate of its river around.” The Hudson can showcase how other rivers around the world can be cleaned up. 

This current endeavor might seem extreme to some, but after looking at Lewis’s prior accomplishments this might just be considered fun. At age 10, he moved from England to South Africa. It was there that he learned to swim at the age of 17. A mere month later he swam from Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) to Cape Town. After moving back to England for law school in his 20s, he continued his swim career. In 1992, he swam across the English Channel. In 2002, he broke the record for the fastest time for swimming around Robben Island. Extreme cold water, the most remote bodies of water, and even long-distance swims in all five oceans of the world litter Lewis’ resume. Countless times he has been the first or the fastest. Now he will be the first to swim the length of the Hudson, unassisted. In 2004, a fellow environmentally-minded swimmer, Christopher Swain, swam from the headwaters to the harbor, in a wetsuit.

Before he embarked on this journey he met with local press and encouraged people to follow his unassisted swim. While he will have a kayak alongside where the water is deep enough and a support boat as he gets into the lower Hudson will boat traffic, he wears only a speedo, swim cap and goggles. A wetsuit would give buoyancy and protection, but these are not allowed. He will be taking Pepto Bismol before and after swims, daily mouthwash for bleeding gums and frequent showers with antimicrobial skin cleanser. 

Why these precautions? “In 36 years of swimming, I have only done four river swims because on three of them, I got seriously, seriously sick,” Lewis said, recalling a terrible experience running into a patch of polluted water in the Thames. “I remember getting out the river and vomiting, and my teeth were actually wobbling in the gums.”

When he stopped in Albany, he met with Mayor Kathy Sheehan who said, “when the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, swimming in the Hudson River was not even imaginable. Today, after years of collective efforts, the river is swimmable, but we know there is still more work to do to return it to its former glory. That is why the City of Albany is investing $50 million as part of the Beaver Creek Clean River Project to help screen and disinfect more than 300 million gallons of combined sewer overflows that end up in the Hudson annually. We know this project alone will not be the end of our efforts, and we are so thankful that Lewis Pugh is drawing even more attention to the Hudson River and rivers like it across the globe. Lewis continues to ‘be a voice for the world’s oceans, and all the magnificent wildlife that live in them’ and we cannot thank him enough and wish him the best during his journey.”

Here’s his timeline – August 13, Expedition starts at Lake Tear of the Clouds; Sept. 13, Expedition finish at Battery Park, Manhattan; Sept. 13-17, post swim media engagements; 

18 - 24 Sept. 18-24, UN General Assembly Week and Climate Week NYC 2023; Sept. 20, UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit; Sept. 24, World Rivers Day.

#hudsonswim2023

Follow his journey here: lewispughfoundation.org/hudson-swim-2023.

Listen to his TED Talk: ted.com/talks/lewis_pugh_my_mind_shifting_everest_swim?language=en.

Kristen Hislop (hislopcoaching@gmail.com) is a USA Triathlon and Ironman U coach, and race director for the Freihofer’s Run for Women. The Hislop Coaching motto is “Do - Believe - Achieve” because she feels everyone is destined for greatness. She is proud mother to two boys who run in college and a husband who recently completed his first 70.3 triathlon.