An Olympic open water swimmer has become the first person to swim across the largest lakes in England, Wales, and Scotland in under 24 hours, to raise money and awareness for the ongoing pollution crisis in British waters.
Hector Pardoe, 24, swam the lengths of Lake Windermere, Lake Bala, and Loch Lomond, to complete a total distance of 34 miles (55km) in an effort inspired by the popular three peaks hiking challenge.
His efforts have so far raised upwards of $10,500 (£7,803) for Surfers Against Sewage, an organization dedicated to turning the tide on harmful pollution levels in Britain's lakes, rivers, and seas.
Pardoe, who's raced at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, hopes his challenge will alert people to the issues facing open water swimmers and other users of Britain's waterways.
He told the BBC: "Sport is a thing of national pride and we're one of the best nations per capita across the world.
"We're always finishing inside of the top five in the Olympic Games, but we're lagging behind in many areas of water pollution."
Pollution in British waters
The pollution of British waters has become an issue of national concern in recent years, with open water swimmers and other athletes particularly worried about the high levels of harmful bacteria and chemicals in British rivers, lakes, and seas.
Along with the excessive use of fertilizer and pesticides, waterways are heavily polluted by the billions of gallons of untreated sewage released by water management companies each year.
Open water swimmers and other athletes have been feeling the effects. Last year, several rowers in the historic Oxford-Cambridge boat race fell ill after high levels of E. coli were detected in the historic River Thames, while at least 35 competitors experienced sickness after swimming in the Berkshire stretch of the river as part of the Royal Windsor Triathlon in June.
"I was fortunate enough to start open water swimming when I was 12, but we're seeing a constant closure of open water venues across the country," continued Pardoe.
"More and more rivers, lakes are being deemed unsafe to swim due to sewage discharge."
Despite the dire state of play, Pardoe believes that British waters aren't beyond help, using his training facility at Lago d'Orta in Northern Italy as an example of what can be achieved.
"Industry meant this was one of the most polluted lakes in all of Italy about 50 years ago. There was very little marine life, and it was pretty much considered filthy," he explained.
"But there was a project to clean it up, and now it's one of the cleanest lakes in the country. The water is stunning and such an amazingly powerful story."
- The best changing robes: cocoon yourself post-swim in a protective layer
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