Three Lakes – Three Countries – One Day

Hector Pardoe completes an epic Three Lakes challenge while raising awareness of water pollution and funds for Surfers Against Sewage

Shortly after wading into Loch Lomond at one minute past midnight on Saturday 2 August, British Olympic marathon swimmer Hector Pardoe saw a large pike.

“I started to panic,” he says. “I thought it might be attracted to the red lights attached to my ankles, so out of fear of being mistaken for prey in distress, I quickly turned the lights off and tried to calm my nerves.”

At this point, he still had more than 34 miles to swim. And this wasn’t the only time his mettle would be tested.

Swimming determination

Over the next 22 hours, Hector would swim the entire length of Loch Lomond, Windermere and Lake Bala, making him the first person to complete the Three Lakes Challenge in under 24 hours.

It’s a story of swimming brilliance, grit, determination, and amazing logistics.

Only two weeks previously, Hector was racing in the World Championships in Singapore, where he finished 25^th. While he was the only British athlete to qualify for a berth in the open water events, he was disappointed.

“This year has been mentally challenging,” he explained. “I suffered from post-Olympic blues, two of my training partners retired, and I felt I’d lost my swimming rhythm.”

Then, in the lead up to the Three Lakes Challenge, he fell ill.

However, in hindsight, this may have been a good thing as it prompted him to wear a wetsuit.

“I’m not sure I could have completed Loch Lomond without it,” he says.

In the bunker

Even with the wetsuit, he suffered. “Towards the end of my Loch Lomond Swim, having been in the water for over 6 hours in the dark, I was cold and my hands and lower arms had swollen – but I got into my bunker zone and just kept telling myself to take one stroke at a time.”

Nevertheless, he completed the 21.6-mile swim in a blistering time of 7:46.15.

But there was no time to rest or celebrate. His team wrapped him up and bundled him into an electric Jeep for the 167-mile trip to Windermere.

Despite the fatigue, Hector completed this second 10.5-mile swim in 3 hours 38 minutes, which is 2 minutes faster than his world record for Windermere. However, that record, which he set in 2023, was without a wetsuit.

Barely pausing to thank the hundreds of supporters who’d lined the banks of Windermere to cheer him in, Hector crawled into his electric Jeep for another 152-mile trip to Bala. It was already nearly dark when he entered the water for a third time, and close to 10 pm when he emerged, victorious.

He’d swum for a combined total time of 12 hours and 15 minutes, in which he covered 34.5 miles.

Swim with purpose

But Hector’s swim wasn’t about setting records.

“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 highlight this issue. For me, it’s all about National pride.”

He is also fundraising for Surfers Against Sewage and so far has raised more than £7,000.

Kirsty Davies, Community Water Quality Manager at Surfers Against Sewage says, “Hector’s record-breaking swim across the UK’s three largest lakes is nothing short of epic. He’s not only completed an incredible physical feat but has raised vital funds and awareness in the fight against sewage pollution.

“Our rivers, lakes and seas are being choked by sewage, and we urgently need year-round, real-time water quality testing so that everyone who enjoys our blue spaces can do so safely, whether they’re an Olympic athlete, occasional dipper or committed surfer getting in the water every day.

“Hector, thank you and congratulations from everyone at SAS and we look forward to seeing what you achieve next!”

Show your support

Please consider showing your appreciation for Hector’s swimming achievement by making a donation on his JustGiving page.