Shropshire Olympian Hector Pardoe sets new world record in 3-lake challenge
Hector Pardoe set a new world record by becoming the first person in history to swim Britain's three biggest lakes.
The Shropshire Olympian swam Scotland's Loch Lomond, Windemere in England and Lake Bala in Wales.
He did so in a travel inclusive time between lakes of under 24 hours, totalling 34.5 miles in a combined time of 12 hours and 15 minutes across all three swims.
In the process, Pardoe smashed the previous world record for Loch Lomond by an astonishing 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Pardoe started his mission at 12:01am on Saturday, August 2, and navigated water temperatures as low as 14 degrees to complete the gruelling 21.6 miles in a new world record time of 7 hours and 46 minutes.
From there, he completed the 10.5 mile length of Windemere in 3 hours and 38 minutes, before finishing his challenge in Bala.
In total, Pardoe swum almost twice the length of the English channel and over 2,220 lengths of a typical 25-metre public swimming pool.
"I knew that I had the physical capability to undertake and complete this feat, but as with all endurance challenges, it's largely mind over matter and controlling any negative thoughts," Pardoe said afterwards.
"At one point, near the start of my Loch Lomond swim, I saw what looked like a large pike just a few metres away and I started to panic.
"I thought it might be attracted to the red lights on my ankle, so out of fear of being mistaken for prey in distress, I quickly turned the lights off and tried to calm my nerves.
"Towards the end of my Loch Lomond swim, I had been in the water for over six hours in the dark. I was cold, my hands and lower arms had swollen, but I got into my bunker zone and just kept telling myself to take one strike at a time.
“I knew that this wasn’t just about pushing my own limits; it was also about using the platform I've built through sport to fight for the environment that made me.
"Across the UK, our rivers and lakes are being polluted by sewage and agricultural runoff,making them unsafe – not just for athletes like me, but for anyone who wants to enjoy them.
"I knew that I had to push through my pain, cold and hunger to further hi-light this issue. For me it’s all about National pride.
“Hopefully I have now thrown down the gauntlet for others to follow. Complete this challenge if you dare."
Pardoe, who previously trained at Ellesmere College in Shropshire, competed at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
He was forced to retire due to an elbow injury during the former, but finished sixth in the 10km open water swimming marathon in the French capital.
