British Father Neil Gilson Shatters 38-Year-Old Lake Geneva Crossing Record

Neil Gilson, a former competitive swimmer turned father of one, broke a 38-year-old record after swimming the length of Lake Geneva in mid-July.

The 38-year-old North Devon native completed the feat in 22 hours and nine minutes, chopping 33 minutes off of the previous record which had been set back in 1986 by Swiss Olympian Alain Charmey.

Gilson, who represented Great Britain at the national level in his twenties, first attempted the 73 kilometer (45 mile) swim a year ago but had to be extracted at the 56-kilometer mark after he developed hypothermia.

This time, fueled by a mixture of energy gels, donuts and bananas, Gilson effectively etched his name into the history by successfully navigating choppy waters, floating logs and the threat of hypothermia to complete the challenge in record-breaking fashion.

Only 12 people have ever completed the swim across Lake Geneva, which is coincidentally the same number of people who have ever walked on the moon. The challenging swim forces people to contend with cold waters, currents, floating debris and swimming through the night.

Due to the inherent risks, the Lake Geneva Swimming Association accompanied Gilson on his journey across the lake to pilot his swim and ensure that he was never in danger.

Speaking on his trek across the lake to Yahoo Sports, Gilson commented on having to push through the pain and mental barriers.

“I thought the record was on when I reached half way, but I hit a bit of a wall and one of the members from the boat suggested I pick it up a bit,” Gilson said. “So it was a case of swimming through the pain barrier. I was quite confident going into it because of doing half of it last year, but the end was tough.”

This is hardly the first time Gilson has completed a swim like this; back in 2021, he swam the Bristol Channel from Swansea to Ilfracombe, although that one only took 11 hours and 47 minutes.

No stranger to long open water swims, Gilson’s motivation for this one was a bit different. He took on the feat to raise money for the PANS PANDAS UK, a charity that educates GPs, teachers and families about the neuropsychiatric conditions Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections.

Gilson’s son Jack was diagnosed with the disorder aged two after contracting bacterial tonsillitis nine times in one year, developing a tic and struggling to leave the house for a stretch of time. The autoimmune condition causes inflammation on the brain and can trigger strange behavioral changes in children, impacting their social skills and general body functions.

Gilson will likely be back in the water in the future, although not before taking some time off to rest and recover.

“There’s a couple of other lakes I’d like to do, Lake Como in Italy being one of them. But for now I’m putting my feet up.”