You’d think after swimming around the entire coast of Great Britain, most people would call it a day.
But Ross Edgley isn’t like most people.
The British endurance swimmer, best known for his 1,780-mile journey around the UK in 2018, is now gearing up for a new, borderline absurd adventure—swimming more than 1,000 miles around the rugged, icy coastline of Iceland.
Starting May 16, Ross plans to swim the distance of the English Channel every single day in waters that sometimes drop below freezing.
Let that sink in—he’s basically turning himself into a human seal.
Training for the Impossible on a Chilly Scottish Shore
To find out what kind of superhuman prep this requires, a reporter from MailOnline joined Ross for a training session off a remote beach near Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands.
Even in a thick wetsuit, diving into the near-freezing water (a bracing 7°C or 44°F) felt like an icy slap in the face.
But Ross? He was grinning, chatting, and gliding through the water like it was a summer swim.
As his companion struggled to stay afloat, Ross was cheerfully offering swimming tips between strokes.
He’ll soon be training for up to 12 hours a day until his body treats that as normal.
What was a grueling plunge for most was just his warm-up.
Iceland’s Waters and Weather Are Brutal—And Ross Loves It
The Iceland challenge might sound straightforward—start swimming from Reykjavík, move clockwise around the island, and don’t stop until you’re back.
But in reality, it’s a battle against one of the harshest environments on Earth.
The island is infamous for sudden storms, 100-foot waves, 100mph winds, and even sand, ash, and snow blasting from its fiery landscape.
“That’s why they call it the land of ice and fire,” Ross joked. “It’s kind of nuts.”
On top of that, he’ll be swimming through saltwater so frequently that his tongue will literally start to fall apart.
During his previous swim around Britain, Ross suffered from “salt tongue”—a condition where the tongue dries out, cracks, and can even shed pieces. Yeah, it’s as gross as it sounds.
Sleep? Forget About It
Ross doesn’t get the luxury of a full night’s sleep during these kinds of expeditions.
Instead, he swims according to the tides—when they’re with him, he goes hard for six hours. When they shift, he rests.
Doesn’t matter if it’s 2 a.m. or 2 p.m.—his schedule is dictated entirely by nature.
“It’s just part of it,” he shrugs. “You swim when the tide says so.”
Becoming a Human Orca—Fat, Fit, and Floating
Ross describes his preparation as a transformation—not just in fitness, but in body type.
He’s not training to be a sleek, speedy swimmer like a dolphin.
Instead, he’s aiming to become more like an orca: fat, durable, and able to endure icy conditions.
“I’m just trying to get fatter and fitter,” he laughs. “It sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s the goal.”
He needs a thick layer of fat to stay insulated during his long hours in near-freezing waters. And that means eating…a lot.
Think 10,000+ calories a day. One of his go-to snacks? A pizza baguette—literally a baguette wrapped in an entire pizza.
Oh, and he’s developed a taste for deep-fried Mars bars while training in Scotland. Because why not?
It’s Basically an Eating Contest… with a Bit of Swimming
Ross likes to joke that his challenge is really just an eating competition with a bit of swimming thrown in.
To sustain his energy, he’s got to consume roughly 120 grams of carbohydrates every hour for 12 hours straight—imagine eating a massive portion of chips every single hour, nonstop.
It’s not just about calories, though. His body has to absorb all that food efficiently while moving through icy waters. And somehow, Ross makes it look effortless.
The Man with Superhuman Recovery Abilities
What makes Ross capable of something so extreme? Turns out, science may have the answer.
During a previous documentary, doctors conducted an MRI on Ross and found something remarkable: his bone marrow still functions like that of a newborn baby.
Normally, as we age, our red marrow—the part responsible for producing new cells—turns to yellow.
But not Ross. His bone marrow is glowing with hyperactive red marrow, which means he heals faster, repairs muscle damage more quickly, and bounces back from fatigue in a way most people can’t.
Dr. Zane Shefif, the radiologist behind the scans, explained: “It’s a rare reconversion process—Ross has the kind of red marrow we see in infants. It’s like his body’s optimized for recovery.”
He Still Feels Pain—He Just Keeps Going Anyway
Despite his unique physiology, Ross is clear: he’s not invincible.
He still gets tired. He still feels pain. But what makes him different is his ability to endure.
“I’ll do a six-hour swim in freezing waters with jellyfish stuck to my face,” he says, “then take a nap and go right back to it.”
His motto? “Everyone has a superpower. Mine is just to eat and suffer.”
What’s Next for Ross?
With the start date for the Iceland challenge fast approaching, Ross is deep into his training, steadily becoming more sea creature than human.
He’s pushing the limits of what the human body can do—not for fame, not for money, but just to see if it’s possible.
If anyone can turn a ludicrous idea into a triumphant reality, it’s probably Ross Edgley.
So next time you complain about the cold shower or dragging yourself to the gym… just remember, somewhere out there, Ross is probably halfway through a 12-hour swim, munching on a pizza baguette.