Throughout the challenge, Edgely overcame sleep deprivation to water temperatures of 9°c in the name of sports science —setting new parameters on the limits of the human body in the process.

"The success of this swim feels especially significant given it is pioneering research into the body’s ability to overcome sleep deprivation, freezing water and so many more factors. The sheer number of hours, days, months and years we have devoted make the record feel unique and I cannot wait to celebrate with my team," Edgely commented.

Edgley is known for attempting extreme challenges and previously became the first person to swim around Great Britain. This latest record is the culmination over two years of sports science research, taking Ross Edgley and his team from the lab to a multitude of destinations. These include Loch Ness —where he completed a 53-hour swim in water as cold as 5°C— to Lake Trasimeno where he completed a 107km swim during a heatwave when temperatures exceeded 45°C. Ahead of Yukon, Edgley also completed a 140km pool swim in Mallorca.

Swimming long-distance in the planet’s most remote regions, Edgley accounted not only the mental and physical demands of such a challenge, but also the need to manage external factors such as bears, wolves, white water rapids, log jams and even forest fires.