Premiere of Thames Swim Against Sewage shows Olympians battling pollution during Thames relay

In response to the urgent need for action to protect the UK's rivers, lakes, streams, and seas, a film documenting a relay swim undertaken by eight elite British swimmers premiered last night in London. This group included Paris 2024 Olympians Toby Robinson and Hector Pardoe, as well as world championships competitor Amber Keegan. Emily Forwood, Colleen Blair, Calum Maclean, Jessika Robson, and Daniel Smyth completed the eight-time line-up of elite swimmers taking on the challenge.

The record-breaking swim attempt was abandoned just outside London due to unsafe water quality, as confirmed by citizen science testing. The film highlights several instances in which the swimmers passed by open sewer drains discharging directly into the Thames, revealing the polluted water they had to navigate. After the relay, Keegan fell ill with symptoms likely due to sewage exposure, despite all safety precautions taken. Her experience is far from unique; thousands of people report similar illnesses every year.

"This was one of the toughest challenges I've ever taken on, but what shocked me most wasn't the distance or the fatigue; it was the state of the water," Keegan said during Thursday's movie premiere. "Some points along the Thames were absolutely disgusting, with E. coli levels more than four times higher than the threshold that would see a beach closed.

"This is not right, and the government needs to do more to protect water users. Safe access to water provides people amazing mental and physical health benefits, and we shouldn't have to worry about getting sick.  

"I suffered sickness as a result of swimming in polluted water, and it makes me furious," added Keegan, who was 18th in the Fukuoka 2023 Worlds women's 10km and silver medallist in the women's 1500m freestyle at the 2022 British national championships. "No one should ever have to suffer an impact on their health purely for doing what they love.

"We need real change now to end the sewage crisis." 

A Paris 2024 Olympian, Robinson said his experience competing in the River Seine at last year's Games followed the successful, years-long clean-up effort. As a legacy of those Games and the races held on the Seine, the river was reopened to Parisians this past summer.

"The Thames is absolutely iconic. I'm doing this swim to tell the story of the river - the positive communities working to clean it up and the challenges it faces," Robinson said. "I'm also trying to build upon the legacy of the Paris Olympics last year. The Games set a precedent that our urban rivers can be cleaned up enough for city dwellers to enjoy and dip in. This should be a right for all people."

The relay began in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, on September 1. The swimmers took turns covering the route, passing through Oxford, Reading, and Marlow. They arrived at Teddington Lock on the morning of September 4, completing the journey 71 hours after leaving Lechlade. From Teddington, the swimmers joined a flotilla of kayaks, boats, and community supporters for the final stretch to Westminster. Their arrival coincided with Parliament's return from summer recess, delivering a united call for urgent reform of the UK's water system.

"This swim was never about a world-record attempt; it was about exposing the sewage scandal. The fact that the athletes weren't able to complete the challenge due to dangerous pollution levels brings the crisis into sharp focus," said Chloe Flood, the Surfers Against Sewage campaigns officer. "Polluters are cashing in whilst people get sick from doing what they love, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a lack of monitoring is leaving water-users in the dark. We are sick of getting sick from sewage. The government must step up and take bold action to transform the broken water industry that continues to allow profit while polluting our waterways." 

You can watch the film "Thames Swim Against Sewage" by clicking HERE.