Freezing conditions, big seas, and even some curious killer whales. To overcome Ross Edgley, Iceland is exerting every effort.
The British extreme athlete, who was inspired by “Thor,” is currently engaged in a feat worthy of the Norse god: swimming 1,000 miles around Iceland in four months for scientific purposes.
There have also been beautiful moments amid the untamed Viking terrain, despite the difficulties—a video of him losing pieces of his tongue due to the salty sea water went viral.
Ross tells Sky News, “We’re on the northern coast right now,” as he gets ready to return to the ocean.
“There’s nothing to stop the wind coming from the Arctic, and it’s just smashing into the north of Iceland. We’re miles out, just like a bobbing cork getting absolutely battered.”
This type of endurance event is nothing new to Ross, who hails from Cheshire. He set a Guinness World Record in 2018 by swimming 317 miles down the Yukon River in Canada and swimming over 1,800 miles around the British coast.
Ross, 39, swims 30 kilometers (18 miles) a day around Iceland, but the bitter cold is something else.
Despite all, he remarks, “The body just takes a consistent battering,” with his usual ebullience and enthusiasm.
“You just do your best to keep it in some sort of shape, controlling the inevitable breakdown of your body, hoping that you get back into Reykjavik.”
Ross has already sustained several injuries, and the salt water prevents them from getting better.
To stay going, he consumes 10,000–15,000 calories a day, with main foods being spaghetti and his new favorite Icelandic liquorice.
“You’re basically running through all of that food – I’m constantly saying it’s basically just an eating competition with a bit of swimming thrown in,” he laughs. “But that’s genuinely what it is.”
On a typical day, assuming there are no storms, Ross gets up, swims for six hours, has a six-hour break, and then swims for another six hours.
“You simply repeat that. In theory, it’s really straightforward, but in practice, it’s harsh.
