Omar El Galla to Swim 1000k to Raise Awareness on Global Climate Change

By Mohamed Rashed On Oct 25, 2019

Via Omar El Galla

Egyptian Athlete Omar El Galla has been making waves in the past while achieving nearly impossible challenges. He cycled 6500 Kilometers around Egypt in 65 days while solo and unsupported. Then, he ran the length of Egypt, 1500 kilometers from the south at Abu Simbel Temple to the North in Alexandria in 36 days, while also being solo and unsupported.

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Going in from @lacommunecamp where I left off the previous day. We have now based ourselves at @rocksea_camp further south down the coast. . It was a smooth swim, I passed by Ras Shitan, then @rocksea_camp , before finally coming out at Kum Kum Camp. . Total distance swam was 9.25 km and I enjoyed eating one of the best mid swim meals so far; @rocksea_camp 's muesli. Not only that, soon as I hitchhiked back to @rocksea_camp we were treated to an amazing fish dinner. Come to think of it, it was the first time to eat fish since I started this journey and I savored every bite. . #SwimmingEgypt #Taba2Shalateen #1000km

A post shared by Omar El Galla ??? عمر الجلاّ (@omarelgalla) on Oct 22, 2019 at 3:44am PDT

Throughout his challenges, Omar was always committed to his self imposed rule of the zero-cost accommodation, relying on camping and locals to host him instead of staying in hotels and hostels. He was also committed to minimizing his carbon and plastic waste as much as possible to raise awareness regarding environmental issues.

Currently, Omar is taking on the last challenge to complete the Egypt Extreme Triathlon. He wants to swim 1000 kilometers from Taba to Shalateen in 100 days, only supported by Nabil Rostom who’ll hike alongside him on land.

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In the morning I hitchhiked from @basata_ecolodge to Azure inn camp, or to be specific, 200m north of it, right at the spot where the beach is closest to the highway, and jumped into the water. . Destination unknown, distance to be swam unknown. See the last month was a bit turbulent, with a lot of plans made then changed. I haven't been training really, barely putting in 5 training sessions in the last 4 weeks. I was worried in the beginning but figured I'll train on the road. The first week will be tough then I'll gradually build up my stamina and my confidence. . So with that in mind, my plan was to see how much I can swim today, hopefully as close to 10 km as possible then get out whenever I stop and hitchhike back to @basata_ecolodge . . I ended up swimming 7.75 km coming out from the water 500m north of Asalah Camp, right in front of an ugly concrete unfinished hotel. . It's not the distance I am eventually gunning for but it's a start. I am looking forward to covering more distance tomorrow. I'll come back to the same spot where I stopped today to continue my journey south along the coast. #SwimmingEgypt #Taba2Shalateen #1000km

A post shared by Omar El Galla ??? عمر الجلاّ (@omarelgalla) on Oct 20, 2019 at 6:16am PDT

They have committed to minimize their environmental footprint during the entire trip in hopes of encouraging Egyptians to become more eco-conscious consumers and live more sustainably.

“While cycling around the country, I would know if I’m approaching a town or city a couple of kilometers away just by the sight of plastic bags flying around in the desert. While running along the Nile, I saw plastic bags and bottles floating all over the river, water canals and in the agricultural lands. While training at sea for this swim, I would bump into bits and pieces of plastic waste floating around, stuck in corals and littering the beaches.” Said El Galla.

WE SAID THIS: Wishing the best of luck for the Egyptian adventurer.