21 Yaks and a Speedo

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Lewis Pugh OIG
21 Yaks and a Speedo. How to achieve your impossible

21 Yaks and a Speedo - How to achieve your impossible is a book authored by Lewis Pugh OIG, one of the most remarkable and unique individuals in the sport of open water swimming. It was nominated for the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year award and will be the subject of Lewis Pugh's presentation at the 2014 Hay Festival in Wales.

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Author

Lewis Pugh is a maritime lawyer, an environmental campaigner and an adventure swimmer with numerous pioneering swims including those in the North Pole and in the Southern (Antarctic) Ocean. In 2010 Pugh was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum for his "potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership. He has spoken at the 2011 Global Open Water Swimming Conference and was inducted as an Honour Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in its Class of 2013 for his outstanding body of work in the sport of open water swimming and marathon swimming.

Adventure swimming

Pugh was the first person to complete a long distance swim in every ocean. He frequently swims in vulnerable ecosystems to draw attention to their plight and is best known for undertaking the first swim across the North Pole in 2007 to highlight the melting of the Arctic sea ice and for swimming across a glacial lake under the summit of Mount Everest in 2010 to draw attention to the melting glaciers in the Himalayas, and the impact the reduced water supply will have on world peace.

Anticipatory Thermo-Genesis

On both his Arctic and Antarctic expeditions Professor Tim Noakes, a sports scientist from the University of Cape Town, recorded Pugh's ability to raise his core body temperature by nearly 2°C in anticipation of entering the freezing water. He coined the phrase "anticipatory thermo-genesis" (the creation of heat before an event). Pugh believes it is a Pavlovian Response to years of cold water swimming.

World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nomination

21 Yaks and a Speedo was nominated for the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year award. Its nomination reads,

It is a fantastic concept: connect Lewis Pugh’s extreme swims around the world with profound life lessons. Pugh’s 21 Yaks and A Speedo pulls it off extraordinarily well; it is insightful to both seasoned business executives and impressionable teenagers while striking a deep resonance with swimmers and aquatic Luddites. When it comes to pushing the limits of one’s body, mind, and creativity, few have succeeded like Pugh. Elaborate operations, difficult logistics, physiological challenges, and psychological barriers, Pugh meets each of these obstacles head-on and writes simply how he overcomes them. A masterful storyteller with a swim record that is anything but fictional, Pugh’s book can be read quickly and repeatedly. For its ability to inspire others to achieve the impossible, for its colorful language that quickly engages, for its unique format that distills valuable life lessons, Lewis Pugh’s 21 Yaks and A Speedo is a worthy nominee for the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

External Links

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