Our Founding Story

Over three decades, endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh pioneered swims in every one of the world’s oceans. He also pioneered the world’s northernmost swim (across the North Pole), the southernmost (in Antarctica), and the highest (across a glacial lake on Mt Everest). 

With each expedition, Lewis saw new evidence of destruction from industrial overfishing, unchecked pollution, and a warming climate. Each new swim highlighted another environmental crisis – be it melting ice, bleaching coral or plastic thousands of miles from human habitation.

In 2016, the Lewis Pugh Foundation was created to ensure environmental justice for our oceans through the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). 

Our Impact

To date, LPF has been instrumental in the protection of 3.5 million km² of ocean. We continue to work to create new fully protected Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and increase the level of protection in existing MPAs. We monitor progress and encourage more nations to ensure proper protection, both in their territorial waters and on the high seas. 

Lewis’s access to global leaders and policy makers means we can influence decisions that make a real difference. LPF uses sport to unify across divides as Lewis swims to highlight the world’s most vulnerable ocean and connected riverine spaces.  

In volatile and uncertain times, we find common cause around the issues that matter most to humanity – and to the natural world we are part of. 

Because protecting our planet is the defining issue of our generation. 

Meet the Team

The inspired individuals behind the Lewis Pugh Foundation

FOUNDING PATRON

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

The Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate was a veteran anti-apartheid activist and peace campaigner, who emphasised the importance of protecting the environment to promote peace. He was regarded as ‘South Africa’s moral conscience’ and is sorely missed, not only for his guidance but also for his delightful sense of humour.

PATRONS

Asha de Vos

Asha de Vos

Asha is a Sri Lankan marine biologist and ocean educator best known for her Blue Whale Project. Besides being passionate about the world’s largest animal, she is a senior TED fellow, a WEF Young Global Leader, and in 2018 was chosen for a BBC 100 Women award for her endeavours to increase diversity, inclusivity and opportunity in her field.

Nour Farid

Nour Farid

Nour Farid is the MD of HEPCA, an Hurgada-based NGO specialising in marine and land conservation. Nour spent his childhood diving the coral reefs of the Red Sea, which instilled in him a love of the ocean and a desire to protect it. Under his leadership, HEPCA was instrumental in the declaration of Egypt’s Great Fringing Reef, as well as other innovative measures to protect the Red Sea’s delicate eco-system.

Anika Krog

Anika Krog

Born and raised in Greenland,  Anika’s early experience of the Arctic wild was following the ancient Inuit hunting traditions with her parents. Knowing that true respect for nature grows once you have experienced it at its most untouched and primal, she founded Nomad Greenland and Kiattua, an award-winning wilderness camp. She is passionate about protecting Polar wilderness.

José María Figueres

José María Figueres

Former President of Costa Rica, José has been dedicated to making a difference from his earliest years, with a particular focus on social justice and protecting the environment. Since leaving office, he has been CEO of the World Economic Forum, Co-Chair of the Global Oceans Commission and Chairperson of the Antarctic 2020 Group.

TEAM

Lewis Pugh

Lewis Pugh

Lewis is an ocean advocate and endurance swimmer. Over 30 years he has pioneered swims in the most challenging environments on earth, including the Antarctic, the North Pole and the Himalayas. In 2013 the United Nations appointed him as the first UNEP Patron of the Oceans. He is an adjunct professor in International Law at the University of Cape Town.

David Bush

David Bush

David was born in Japan and educated in the UK. After graduating from SOAS University of London, he was an equity trader for Nomura Securities. He worked as a media producer and consultant for Japanese television before joining the Lewis Pugh Foundation.

Sally Burns

Sally Burns

Sally has a wealth of experience in client relations from 25 years in event and project management. While based in London, her global clientele spanned the US and Caribbean, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa. Sally is passionate about animal welfare, and shares her home with four rescue dogs and one cat (so far!).

Jacqui L’Ange

Jacqui L’Ange

Jacqui is an award-winning author, editor, journalist and scriptwriter, with a focus on nature and critical environmental issues. She grew up across five continents before settling in South Africa, where she now balances playing with words and rewilding a regenerative farm and writer’s retreat on the Garden Route.

Sue Disler

Sue Disler

Sue is an award-winning designer, art director and communication strategist with more than 25 years experience in advertising and marketing. She lives in Cape Town and is a founding member of the Internet Advertising Bureau of South Africa.

Robyn de Villers

Robyn de Villers

Robyn is a User Interface and graphic designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Passionate about the ocean and all the interesting things in it, she hopes to drive positive change through compelling visual storytelling.

Kelvin Trautmann

Kelvin Trautmann

Kelvin is an action photographer and filmmaker who uses his lens to examine both humans and the environment. His images have appeared in the New York Times, and National Geographic. A passionate yachtsman, Kelvin spent four years racing around the world.

Lorne Farquharson

Lorne Farquharson

Lorne spent ten years in the UK working in finance for large global corporations. After relocating to Cape Town he focused his energy on the not-for-profit sector. He loves the ocean and is passionate about sport. He has been training with Lewis during expedition preparation since 2014.

Dave Duarte

Dave Duarte

Dave is a communications strategist and founder of Treeshake, running campaigns aligned with the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Chairman of the Reach Trust, which develops mobile apps to improve literacy and numeracy.

TRUSTEES

Lewis Pugh

Lewis Pugh

Lewis is an ocean advocate and endurance swimmer. Over 30 years he has pioneered swims in the most challenging environments on earth, including the Antarctic, the North Pole and the Himalayas. In 2013 the United Nations appointed him as the first UNEP Patron of the Oceans. He is an adjunct professor in International Law at the University of Cape Town.

Roxanna Samii

Roxanna Samii

Roxanna has over 30 years of communications experience in the development sector. As Chief of Digital Strategy at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), she led the organization’s digital transformation, raising awareness about environment, rural development, water resource management, agriculture and food security. Born in Iran, she lives in Italy.

David Becker

David Becker

David runs a sports law practice representing some of the world’s leading athletes, including Sir Ben Ainslie (sailing), Chad le Clos (swimming), Francois Pienaar (rugby) and Graeme Smith (cricket). David supported Lewis on expeditions to Svalbard, the North Pole and Mt Everest.

Tessa Graham

Tessa Graham

Tessa is a business strategist with experience spanning the environment, technology, food and sport. Born and raised in Canada, her passion is collaborating with fast growing, entrepreneurial companies with strong leadership, and she has advised household names like Stella McCartney and Jamie Oliver.

Dermot McDonogh

Dermot McDonogh

Dermot is a passionate open water swimmer and loves to swim in the sea close to Dublin where he has spent much of his life. He has worked in investment banking for over 30 years, much of it at Goldman Sachs. Dermot now works for Bank of New York Mellon and lives in New York.

CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Rumboll

Sarah Rumboll

Born in Cape Town, currently residing in Spain, Sarah leverages her background in Psychology to weave compelling narratives that drive social change. Passionate about the power of storytelling, Sarah is dedicated to making a positive impact through her work.

Michael Booth

Michael Booth

Michael spent over a decade working on wildlife and environmental films, winning a number of international film festival awards. He recently served as Head of Multimedia for UNEP, and spent a year living in a campervan with his family documenting their journey from the tip of South America to Canada.

Amie Pearce

Amie Pearce

Amie was born and raised in the Lake District. Her love of mountains and lakes grew into a passion for ocean conservation and whales. Amie is currently working as a digital nomad while she travels through Europe. Besides writing, she also enjoys horse riding, cooking and hiking.

Steve Peters

Steve Peters

With over 20 years experience in broadcast television, working for the likes of Top Gear, as well as commercials, features and live sports, Steve is at ease flying his drone in the most challenging situations, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and everywhere in between. He lives with his family outside London.

Olle Nordell

Olle Nordell

Olle is a Swedish adventure and lifestyle photographer. His passion for the outdoors began as a child camping and trailblazing in Kenya. During his career in advertising, Olle has worked as copywriter, creative director and brand strategist. He lives in Stockholm with his wife and three children.

Stuart Makin

Stuart Makin

Stuart combines a flair for finance with a head for hard facts. After reading Law and Accounting at the University of Cape Town, he worked for Deloitte in South Africa, North America and London before joining the Stonehage Group. Stuart enjoys surfing, kite boarding and mountain biking.

Letter from our Founding Patron, Desmond Tutu

For many years I have supported Lewis Pugh in his role as the world’s leading ocean advocate. Now I am delighted and honoured to be the Founding Patron of his Foundation.
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The mission of the Lewis Pugh Foundation is to ensure environmental justice for the oceans on which we all fundamentally depend.
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It is founded on the understanding that, by protecting our environment, we create conditions for peace. Without this respect for our origins, for the natural world that sustains us, we cannot hope to achieve peace in our lifetime, or those of our children and grandchildren.
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I urge you to support this Foundation and the crucial work it does to promote peace and protect the future of our planet.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Nobel Peace Laureate