Portrait of Ahmed Nasef in a swim cap on the beach. Archive photograph.
Role in the mission
Ahmed Nasef
The athlete of the mission
England → France in 2014. Now: England → France → England.
Ahmed Nasef is an Egyptian endurance swimmer and double-leg amputee athlete. A train accident resulted in the amputation of both legs; the water became the place where he rebuilt a competitive career. On 20 July 2014 he swam the English Channel from England to France in a documented 18 hours and 48 minutes, entered into the Channel Swimming Association Record Book on 1 November 2014. He is now preparing for a two-way crossing: England to France and back to England, with the aim of becoming the first swimmer with a disability to complete the achievement, subject to official verification.
Role in preparation and training
Ahmed is the swimmer. The team works around his safety, his readiness and the documentation of the attempt: conditioning, cold-water adaptation, long open-water sessions, nutrition and the feeding plan at sea.
Previous achievements and championships
Documented English Channel crossing, England to France, 20 July 2014, in 18 hours 48 minutes, certified by the Channel Swimming Association. Further competitive results are published only once the team supplies documentation.
Why this role matters to the mission
The mission exists because a swimmer decided to return to the same water with double the operational distance. Every other role in the team is built around that decision.
Related photographs
Ahmed Nasef swimming in open water during the documented 2014 English Channel crossing. Archive photograph — not current training.
Ahmed Nasef with a team member on a shingle beach before an open-water swim. Archive photograph, date supplied by the project team.
Airport reception on the return from the Channel: Ahmed Nasef with members of the team and the Egyptian flag. 2014 archive.
