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Lewis Pugh
71 quotes
“Four-point-two kilometres is a long way for a frozen body to sink.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 1, describing his North Pole swim (2007)
“My father taught me to understand that not much was impossible, if you had a mind to go after it. What seems beyond you is only unreachable if that’s what you believe.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Nothing excited me more than opening up the atlas and seeing places and seas, imagining what they looked like and what kind of life the people had.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My love for the water would always be tempered by respect for dangers that must never be underestimated.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My own feeling was that witnessing the explosion of an atomic bomb, and having to examine all the dead animals, had a profound effect on my father.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Always when we walked, it was clear to me how much he loved nature, wild flowers, animals in their natural habitat and the simple pleasures of a beautiful sunset. My love for the environment did not develop out of a vacuum.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Going against the tide has never been difficult for me. It wasn’t even a conscious decision but the natural consequence of following my own instinct.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It took me over three years to get the beret and the most enriching part of the experience was getting to know men for whom you would have given your life on the battlefield. It is a big thing to say there are people who are not your family for whom you would give up your life. But that is how close we became.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ultimately I wanted to be a pioneer swimmer, a distant descendant of Scott, Amundsen and Hillary, except that I would be an explorer of the water.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I resolved to follow my dream. I wanted to push every boundary. I wanted to swim further than anyone else. I wanted to cross seas and round capes that no one had dreamed of swimming before. And I wanted to swim in waters that were so cold no one thought it was possible to survive in them. And though it promised to make me poor and would take away the security provided by a career in law, that didn’t worry me.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I have been haunted by that swim through the whale graveyard and haven’t been able to get the image of the bones out of my head. Man hunted whales almost to the point of extinction, not seeming to care that we would lose one of the wonders of the sea world forever. It is the coldness of the water in Antarctica that preserves the bones and makes it look like they were left there yesterday but I like to think they are there as a reminder of man’s potential for folly.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 315-6, describing his swim at Deception Island, Antarctica (2005)
“...when you swim from England to France you’ve got to leave your doubt on the beach at Dover.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When people say to me, you must have a very strong mind to swim across the North Pole, or off Antarctica or on Mount Everest, I tell them that endurance swimming builds good mental strength.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don’t know of any sport where the goalposts can shift the way they do with endurance swimming.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Thoughts alone won’t make extraordinary things happen. But nothing ever happens if you don’t visualise it first.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A massive turquoise glacier feeds into Magdalenefjord, with chunks of ice as big as buildings breaking off and landing in the water to float away as icebergs. As I swam past them, with my head in the water, I heard a tantalising sound: a snap-crackle-pop, just like Rice Krispies in milk. It was the sound of tiny air bubbles being released from the ice – air that had been trapped there as much as 3,000 years ago. To swim through this sound, I thought, is to swim in history.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 61, describing his swim in the Svalbard archipelago (2005)
“They have [...] a split personality. One moment they’re your best mate, and next they are trying to drag you down to the bottom of the sea to drown you. [...] It’s just astonishing.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The essence of any great achievement is to believe in your purpose.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I knew now that I had to stand up and start speaking about protecting our environment. From that moment on, every swim should have the aim of inspiring people to protect and preserve the world’s oceans and all that live in them.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 85, describing his swim at Deception Island (2005)
“The most powerful form of self-belief comes from believing in something greater than you. Because when you’ve got purpose, everything becomes possible.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’m not a rule-breaker by nature. But there are times when you need to untangle yourself from red tape. Because the truth is, if you wait for permission, some things will simply never happen.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 94, referencing his swim across Sydney Harbour (2006)
“When you have hope in the future, you have power in the present. And when you lose that hope, your dream goes with it.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Never plan for victory and defeat in your mind at the same time.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This wasn’t some kind of stunt. This was a symbolic swim, and I needed to be courageous. [...] Swimming in a wetsuit or drysuit just wouldn’t send the right signal.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 192, describing his swim across the North Pole (2007)
“When you are walking up a mountain to attempt something that nobody’s ever tried before, and you pass people bringing corpses down, it becomes very clear that if you get it wrong, the consequences could be fatal.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p 234, describing his swim on Mt Everest (2010)
“[...] it’s much easier to achieve big dreams than it is small ones. Big dreams require big passion. And when you’ve got passion it’s easier to inspire others to come along and help you.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’ve been swimming for 25 years, and I don’t think there is one swim that I have done where someone didn’t say beforehand, ‘I don’t think it’s possible’ or ‘You’ll never make it’. If someone tells you that you can’t achieve your dream, don’t waste good time arguing. Walk away and do it.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Don’t look for other people to validate your dreams. If it feels right, just go for it.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“No matter how tough my day has been, when I dive into the sea, the world seems perfect.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity, which should never be crossed.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I always tell young swimmers: 'Practice things until you can't get them wrong. Not until you get them right.' There's a big difference.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Law taught me how to argue passionately and rationally. That’s key to being a successful environmental campaigner. If you are too emotional you run the risk of turning off policy makers. And if you can’t present your arguments rationally, no one will listen to you.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I can’t decide which path to take, I have a meeting with the 75-year-old me. That person usually knows what to do.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you have a passion, follow it. It's the best barometer of what you will be good at. And choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I tolerate cold water. Anyone who says they love swimming in freezing water is either lying or has never done it.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think it foolhardy to predict the absolute limits of human endurance.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Too little confidence, and you're unable to act; too much confidence, and you're unable to hear.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I look for swims where I can carry a powerful message. No message, no swim. I don’t get wet now unless it’s for a reason.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’ve swum through some very cold and rough seas. I think that’s made me more determined than the average person.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As a pioneer swimmer, you've got to be willing to fail and try again. The point isn’t to learn to fail, the point is to learn to bounce back.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There's a tyranny in perfection. Just do things to the very best of your ability. Then move on.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My mind has to be ready. My body also has to be ready. But even more important, my heart has to be ready. What I mean by that is for the swims I do, I must have a burning reason.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Being the first to undertake a swim is exponentially harder than going second. You don’t know what will happen. The fear can be crippling. It’s much easier to go second. You know it’s possible. But the world is divided into pioneers and followers. You are one or the other. I prefer to be a pioneer.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The trick is to make fear your friend. Fear forces you to prepare more rigorously and see potential problems more quickly.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To do anything worthwhile, you will face periods of grinding doubt and fear.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You must not dither - swim like you're running through a minefield.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Outside Magazine, 13 April 2009
“You don't know pain until you've had a stalactite in your cock.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Outside Magazine, 13 April 2009
“If we pass on an unsustainable environment to our children we have failed them.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to the House of Lords (19 November 2010)
“There’s nothing more chilling than swimming across open sea, where recently there used to be a solid glacier.”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to the House of Lords (19 November 2010)
“A thought came across my mind: if things go pear-shaped on this swim, how long will it take for my frozen body to sink the four and a half kilometers to the bottom of the ocean?”
Lewis Pugh (born 1969) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: TED Talk: Swimming the North Pole, September 2009