Lewis Pugh
Ocean Advocate and Pioneer Swimmer
Lewis Pugh is a leading inspirational and leadership speakers and an authority on how to achieve the "impossible." He has pioneered swims in the most challenging environments on earth, including the Antarctic, the North Pole and the Himalayas, and developed an understanding of the beauty and fragility of life and its many ecosystems. He was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world. He was the first to undertake a swim across the icy waters of the North Pole and the first to swim across a glacial lake on Mt. Everest. Lewis is a vivid storyteller. He talks about the methods he uses to undertake swims, which were deemed "impossible"—choosing the right team, meticulous preparation, the right mind-set, never quitting, and changing when circumstances dictate. Lewis has received numerous awards. In 2010, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader, and in 2013, the United Nations appointed him "Patron of the Oceans."
Lewis Pugh is an ocean advocate and an endurance swimmer. He has pioneered swims in the most challenging environments on earth, including the Antarctic, the North Pole and the Himalayas, and developed an understanding of the beauty and fragility of life and its many ecosystems.
Pugh is a leading figure in efforts to protect our oceans. He is currently working on creating a series of Marine Protected Areas around Antarctica. The negotiations require consensus among 25 countries, a number of which have long standing disputes with one another. The media have dubbed his efforts as "Speedo diplomacy."
Pugh goes to extremes. He’s been to the world’s most inaccessible places. He’s put his body through unimaginably difficult conditions. He’s learned how to harness the energy that comes from overcoming extraordinary odds. And he knows how to inspire audiences to rise to their own internal challenges. His talks make a difference, to individuals, and to organizations. His dream is that they will make a difference to the world.
Pugh’s ability to make his story matter has made him a highly sought-after inspirational speaker.
On their 125th anniversary, Coca-Cola asked Pugh to address their world-wide leadership team. When Unilever decided to double their business and halve their environmental footprint, they chose Pugh to motivate their management team. And when Lloyd’s Agency Network turned 200 years old, they asked Pugh to help them visualize their future in an increasingly unpredictable world. He has also addressed the world’s business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As an ocean advocate, pioneer swimmer and explorer, Pugh puts his hard-learned lessons into the context of a corporate environment. He shares the visualization that enabled him to undertake the first swim across the sub-zero waters of the North Pole. And he shares the “radical tactical shift” that he used to complete the first swim across a glacial lake on Mt Everest. Most importantly, he inspires people to reach for the dream of achieving their own impossible.
Pugh is the only person to have completed a long distance swim in every ocean of the world. To date, he has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history. Each of these seemingly impossible feats was done to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our oceans and their importance to humanity. And he’s not finished yet.
Pugh is one of the world’s foremost leadership and inspirational speakers, with TED describing him as "a master story teller” and his address on leadership at the Business Innovation Forum in Rhode Island was voted as one of the “7 Most Inspiring Videos on the Web”. Over 2.5 million people have viewed his TED talks, and countless others have followed him on BBC, Good Morning America, CNN, Jon Stewart, National Geographic, Sky News, Al Jazeera, Jay Leno and more. His autobiography Achieving the Impossible is a best seller and was chosen for Oprah’s exclusive book list.
Pugh has received a number of awards including France and South Africa’s highest honours, as well as the Freedom of the City of London. In 2010, the World Economic Forum named him a “Young Global Leader” for his “potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership” and in 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme appointed him “Patron of the Oceans.” He was recently named National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year.
Pugh read law at the University of Cambridge, and lives between London and Cape Town.
Pugh is a leading figure in efforts to protect our oceans. He is currently working on creating a series of Marine Protected Areas around Antarctica. The negotiations require consensus among 25 countries, a number of which have long standing disputes with one another. The media have dubbed his efforts as "Speedo diplomacy."
Pugh goes to extremes. He’s been to the world’s most inaccessible places. He’s put his body through unimaginably difficult conditions. He’s learned how to harness the energy that comes from overcoming extraordinary odds. And he knows how to inspire audiences to rise to their own internal challenges. His talks make a difference, to individuals, and to organizations. His dream is that they will make a difference to the world.
Pugh’s ability to make his story matter has made him a highly sought-after inspirational speaker.
On their 125th anniversary, Coca-Cola asked Pugh to address their world-wide leadership team. When Unilever decided to double their business and halve their environmental footprint, they chose Pugh to motivate their management team. And when Lloyd’s Agency Network turned 200 years old, they asked Pugh to help them visualize their future in an increasingly unpredictable world. He has also addressed the world’s business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As an ocean advocate, pioneer swimmer and explorer, Pugh puts his hard-learned lessons into the context of a corporate environment. He shares the visualization that enabled him to undertake the first swim across the sub-zero waters of the North Pole. And he shares the “radical tactical shift” that he used to complete the first swim across a glacial lake on Mt Everest. Most importantly, he inspires people to reach for the dream of achieving their own impossible.
Pugh is the only person to have completed a long distance swim in every ocean of the world. To date, he has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history. Each of these seemingly impossible feats was done to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our oceans and their importance to humanity. And he’s not finished yet.
Pugh is one of the world’s foremost leadership and inspirational speakers, with TED describing him as "a master story teller” and his address on leadership at the Business Innovation Forum in Rhode Island was voted as one of the “7 Most Inspiring Videos on the Web”. Over 2.5 million people have viewed his TED talks, and countless others have followed him on BBC, Good Morning America, CNN, Jon Stewart, National Geographic, Sky News, Al Jazeera, Jay Leno and more. His autobiography Achieving the Impossible is a best seller and was chosen for Oprah’s exclusive book list.
Pugh has received a number of awards including France and South Africa’s highest honours, as well as the Freedom of the City of London. In 2010, the World Economic Forum named him a “Young Global Leader” for his “potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership” and in 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme appointed him “Patron of the Oceans.” He was recently named National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year.
Pugh read law at the University of Cambridge, and lives between London and Cape Town.
Topics:
- Tailored Presentations: Lewis Pugh tailors his presentations to suit a wide range of businesses and issues, from organizational change to the challenges of leading diverse teams in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
- Achieving Your Impossible: No Challenge Too Great: In a career spanning 27 years, ocean advocate Lewis Pugh has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history, including the first swim across the icy waters of the North Pole, and across a glacial lake on Mt. Everest—all in just a Speedo swimsuit. Many of his expeditions were in conditions deemed “impossible.” Widely regarded as one of the world’s most inspiring speakers, Lewis shares his insights on the mind-set, preparation, teamwork and leadership skills necessary for any major undertaking and how they can be applied in your organization. The most crucial success factor, he says, is to have a driving purpose, which for him is to protect our planet’s threatened oceans.
Looking for a speaker? Let us help you.
All fields are required.