Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe LONDON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Lewis Pugh has endured many ordeals in the past but says becoming the first to swim the entire length of Britain's 203-mile long Thames was his toughest. The 37-year-old Cambridge-educated lawyer completed the course in 21 days and came ashore at Southend-on-Sea where the river meets the North Sea, reports the Independent. Advertisement His challenges included encountering a heat wave and a shoal of jellyfish. In the past, Pugh has completed long distance swims in all five oceans. Pugh's journey began on July 17 at Kemble in Gloucestershire. He was forced to run the first 20 miles because of low water levels. "This challenge has proved far more difficult than I expected due to the drought and the heat wave. I just hope that my swim has brought home the message that we have to ... tackle climate change," he said. Pugh met with Prime Minister Tony Blair after his feat and delivered a letter to the British minister outlining his concerns regarding the dangers of climate change. The swim was part of a campaign to raise awareness about the perils of climate change, especially in the polar regions where Pugh had been training in recent years, the report said. Advertisement
