1.
I think that I was slightly naive. I thought that if I showed people the beauty of the Arctic and the beauty of the polar bears that they would care so much that they would stand up and try to make a change.
Lewis Gordon
2.
Of all the creatures in the world that really frighten me - the hyena in Africa, the great white shark - leopard seals are near the top of the list. They're killers. If my team spots one, they'll pull me out of the water.
Lewis Gordon
3.
There is nothing more powerful than the made-up mind.
Lewis Gordon
4.
If we pass on an unsustainable environment to our children we have failed them.
Lewis Gordon
5.
We need to save the Arctic not because of the polar bears, and not because it is the most beautiful place in the world, but because our very survival depends upon it.
Lewis Gordon
6.
The days of exploration of Shackleton and Scott are long gone. Everything has been climbed, crossed, done. Now what we're exploring are the full boundaries of human endeavour. It's not physical - it's all in the head.
Lewis Gordon
7.
Climate change is the Everest of all problems, the thorniest challenge facing humankind.
Lewis Gordon
8.
If you want to swim across the English Channel from England to France - you have to leave your doubt on the beach in England.
Lewis Gordon
9.
Going against the tide has never been difficult for me. It wasn't even a conscious decision but the natural consequence of following my own instinct.
Lewis Gordon
10.
The right to have our environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations is our most important human right.
Lewis Gordon
11.
The importance of music extends well beyond its performance.
Lewis Gordon
12.
The swim at Deception Island was by far the hardest swim I've ever done. Antarctica is a very unforgiving environment. If you don't train properly, you'll die.
Lewis Gordon
13.
When I'm preparing for a swim, I imagine absolutely everything about it: the color of the water, how cold it is, the taste of salt in my mouth. I visualize each and every stroke.
Lewis Gordon
14.
The blues is also existential and offers a sense of mature reflection that enabled it to be the leitmotif of modern life.
Lewis Gordon
15.
When I was born, the world's population was 3.5 billion. There are now 6.8 billion people on the planet. By 2050, that's expected to rise to 9.4 billion. What's more, the Earth's resources aren't growing; they're decreasing - and rapidly.
Lewis Gordon
16.
I learned two basic lessons on Everest. First, just because something has worked in the past does not mean it will work today. Second, different challenges require different mindsets.
Lewis Gordon
17.
Ultimately I wanted to be a pioneer swimmer, a distant descendant of Scott, Amundsen and Hillary, except that I would be an explorer of the water.
Lewis Gordon