‘I can’t imagine in 20 years knowing I could’ve done it but didn’t’: Neil Agius to retry world-record swim

Long-distance swimmer and environment activist Neil Agius on Thursday (today) announced that he will be taking another shot at his world-record open water swim in September.

In an announcement during a press conference at the Ta’ Xbiex Waterpolo Club, he remarked that the challenge is expected to take place in the second half of September and will see him swim along the coastal waters of Malta’s archipelago, comprising Malta, Gozo and Comino. In doing so, he will cover approximately 160 kilometres.

This will mark his first attempt at breaking the record after he was forced to abandon his earlier swim in September 2023. In that attempt, he had aimed to complete the swim in Spain, yet it came to a premature end after encountering a swarm of jellyfish off the coast of Mallorca.

In a post on social media, Mr Agius said that this new challenge will see him swim for 65 hours nonstop, running on essentially three days of no sleep, not touching the boat, “and just focusing on one stroke after the next.”

“I believe last year’s failure has added a wealth of knowledge to the team and, more importantly, to myself and the way I’m approaching this 160-kilometre swim from a mental and physical aspect,” he remarked.

The current route is still being finalised and will ultimately depend on weather conditions. Should Mr Agius succeed, he will break the current world record – which he himself holds – for the longest nonstop, unassisted, current neural sea swim.

“I’m swimming in home waters and competing on a global stage. I hope to unite everyone like only sports can, where everyone feels part of this historic moment,” he continued.

“I can’t imagine myself in 20 years knowing I could have done something but didn’t,” Mr Agius said.

This swim will also serve as another opportunity for Mr Agius to raise awareness about the need to protect Malta’s marine habitat. In fact, Wave of Change, an NGO that he founded, is teaming up with marine cleanup NGO Żibel to organise a series of initiatives related to the swim.

He said that the challenge, called “The Small Island Big Swim,” is not solely about setting a world record, but is more importantly about highlighting the problem of pollution and pollutants in the world’s seas and oceans.