Ross Edgley

Who is Ross Edgley?

Ross Edgley is a former professional British water polo player who currently works as a model and personal trainer. In November 2018, he became the first person to swim around Great Britain.

Topics and Timestamps

• 01Ross Edgley completed the first ever solo swim around Great Britain in November 2018, covering approximately 1,791 miles over 157 days
• 02He discusses the extreme physical and mental challenges of swimming in cold British waters, dealing with jellyfish, shipping lanes, and unpredictable weather
• 03Ross explains his training regimen and how he prepared his body to handle the psychological toll of being alone in the ocean for months
• 04He describes the nutritional demands of swimming 8-10 hours per day and consuming up to 12,000 calories daily to maintain energy
• 05Ross talks about the dangerous encounters he had with boats, shipping traffic, and the logistics of having a support team following him along the coast
• 06He discusses how the accomplishment changed his perspective on human potential and the importance of embracing discomfort and suffering
• ▶Ross explains his decision to swim around Great Britain and the scope of the challenge0:05:00
• ▶Discussion of the extreme physical demands, including 12,000 calorie daily intake and 8-10 hour swimming sessions0:15:00
• ▶Ross describes dangerous encounters with shipping traffic and close calls during the swim0:35:00
• ▶The psychological challenges of isolation and monotony during 157 days in the water0:55:00
• ▶Ross reflects on how the accomplishment changed his perspective on human potential and suffering1:15:00

The Show

Joe brought on Ross Edgley, the first person to ever swim around the entire coast of Great Britain. This was a legitimate physical achievement that required months of preparation, training, and an insane amount of mental fortitude. Ross didn't just decide to do this on a whim either. He trained extensively, working with his support team to figure out logistics, nutrition, weather patterns, and all the weird variables that come with swimming in British waters for over five months straight.

The conversation dives deep into what it actually takes to do something this extreme. Ross was swimming 8 to 10 hours a day, consuming massive amounts of food to fuel his body. We're talking 12,000 calories daily just to stay functional. The cold water was brutal. The jellyfish were brutal. The shipping lanes around Britain are genuinely dangerous, with massive cargo ships that have no idea a guy is swimming underneath them. Ross talks about the fear factor, the isolation, and how your mind starts playing tricks on you when you're alone in the ocean that long.

What makes this conversation really interesting is how much of it is about psychology rather than just physical fitness. Yes, Ross is clearly an athlete and he trained hard, but the mental game is where things get wild. Spending 157 days in the water, dealing with the monotony, the pain, the uncertainty of whether you can actually finish, that breaks a lot of people. Ross didn't break though. He kept moving forward every single day.

Joe and Ross get into the whole philosophy of suffering and discomfort, and how pushing yourself into those spaces changes who you are as a person. It's not just about swimming around Britain. It's about what that journey teaches you about your own capabilities and your limitations. Ross comes across as genuinely humble about the whole thing too. He's not some arrogant athlete bragging about what he did. He's clear eyed about how difficult it was and how much luck played a role in not getting hit by a boat or seriously injured.

Best Quotes