The window for Neil Agius to attempt his world record swim from Tunisia to Sicily has opened, but plans are up in the air due to a spell of bad weather that makes for dangerous swimming.

“Yesterday evening at 6pm the window of the expedition opened,” the ultra-endurance swimmer said on social media. “The whole team is ready with their bags packed and on standby with a 24-hour notice to leave.”

Agius will be attempting to swim from Tunisia to Sicily – a gruelling distance of 150 kilometres in the cold, Mediterranean water. If he completes the swim, he will be the first person in history to do so.

However, rain and thunderstorms in Tunisia is set to cause delays with the heartbreaking possibility of the swim being postponed altogether

“Due to the low pressure and heatwave we have in Malta the sea is far from ideal to swim,” Agius said.

“It has also been advised to me that we may need to look into other options,” he continued. “This is a tough pill to swallow. I have been working round the clock for the last six months to make this dream a reality, but this is part of the challenges with taking on an expedition like this and it is why we need a strong mindset to keep going.”

Agius ended his point by stating that, no matter what, he will still be attempting to break the world record.

Agius will be swimming to raise awareness for Wave of Change – an initiative founded by the man himself in a bid to raise awareness about the need to safeguard Malta’s environment and to inspire and support people looking to leave a positive impact on their surroundings.

Photo Credit: Kurt Arrigo

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