Endurance Swimmer Confesses to 'Idiotic' Decision to Circle Iceland Before First Child's Birth
In an exclusive revelation, endurance swimmer Ross Edgley has openly admitted that attempting to swim around Iceland's entire coastline before the arrival of his first baby was an act of sheer folly. The athlete, known for his superhuman feats, describes himself as an 'idiot' for undertaking such a perilous mission with fatherhood looming.
A Race Against Time in Freezing Waters
Ross Edgley, a sports scientist and record-breaking hard man, felt an unbelievable pressure as he embarked on swimming 1000 miles around Iceland's treacherous coast. This extreme challenge, which spanned 116 gruelling days, was conducted against a ticking clock because his long-term partner, Hester Sabery, was pregnant with their first child.
Edgley, who already holds the world record for swimming 2000 miles around Great Britain in 2018, has a history of outrageous physical tests. These include running a marathon while dragging a car and completing an ultra-marathon with a tree trunk on his back. In 2024, he also secured the record for the longest non-stop river swim, covering 317 miles down Canada's Yukon River over 62 hours.
The Unplanned Timing of Parenthood
The swimmer was deep into his year-long training programme when he and Sabery, his girlfriend of 13 years, decided to try for a baby. They assumed conception would take considerable time, allowing Edgley to complete his training and the swim. However, pregnancy occurred almost immediately, leaving him in a precarious position.
"We thought it would take a while so I'd have plenty of time to get back but it literally happened the first week," Edgley marvels. "I was like, oh god. So the boat's been booked, the scientists are all lined up. Channel 4 are on board."
A Supportive Partner and a Feral Boyfriend
Edgley credits Sabery's laid-back attitude for enabling his participation. He laughingly admits that she understands he is a "strange, feral sort of boyfriend" who is "wired a little bit wrong." Her response was pragmatic: "Look, it's your job, go and do what you have to do, but be back to build the nursery."
The carefully planned expedition involved swimming 12 miles per day, starting from western Iceland near Reykjavik and moving clockwise. Along the way, Edgley immersed himself in Icelandic folklore, encountering tales of elves, trolls, and mermaids amidst spectacular landscapes and extraordinary wildlife.
Perilous Obstacles and Physiological Breakdown
Viewers of the upcoming Channel 4 documentary will witness Edgley battling severe challenges. These included hypothermia, tongue rot from saltwater exposure, and sea-sickness. More alarmingly, he suffered from cellulitis due to wetsuit chafing—a condition that can be fatal if infection reaches the bloodstream—and rhabdomyolysis, where muscles break down from prolonged exertion.
"Essentially, your muscles are liquifying and ending up in your bloodstream," Edgley explains cheerfully. "I urinate into a transparent bottle and the colour is literally like Coca-Cola." Around 90 days into the swim, he recognised his body was under excessive strain, negotiating with himself to push through the final stages.
Volcanic Eruptions and Hurricane Delays
In the final episode of the three-part series, a massive delay occurs when Edgley and his nine-man crew are trapped between an erupting volcano, Europe's largest glacier, and Hurricane Erin. With lava destroying a town to the west and massive ice shards to the north, the team was forced to wait two weeks for conditions to clear, intensifying the race against time.
The True Finish Line: Fatherhood
Unlike his celebratory finish in Margate after swimming around Britain, Edgley's focus remained on his impending fatherhood. "The finish line was always going to be back home when the baby arrived," he says. He fulfilled a promise to Sabery and his unborn son, ensuring his return to build the nursery and be present for the birth.
To prepare for the swim, Edgley gained 15 kilograms for insulation, spending up to 12 hours daily in freezing waters. He funds his adventures through book sales, leveraging his unconventional sports science insights.
The Great Icelandic Swim with Ross Edgley airs on Channel 4, offering a gripping look at this extreme athletic endeavour and the personal stakes involved.
