Cold
Many hours in open water without a wetsuit, under Channel rules.
Endurance swimming · English Channel
There and back.
After crossing the Channel once, Ahmed Nasef is preparing to double the challenge: England to France and back to England.
In 2014 Ahmed Nasef crossed the English Channel from England to France in a documented time of 18 hours and 48 minutes. The next mission is a two-way attempt: England → France → England.
Announced target · Preparation under way
The sponsorship case
This is not a crossing attempt — it is the multiplication of a historic achievement.
THERE AND BACK — FROM A HISTORIC CROSSING TO AN UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT.
After completing the English Channel crossing from England to France in 2014 in a documented time of 18 hours and 48 minutes, Ahmed Nasef is returning to face an even greater challenge: a two-way crossing from England to France and back to England. If completed and officially observed and ratified, the attempt could become the first successful two-way English Channel crossing in history by a double-leg amputee swimmer. This is not simply a longer swim; it is a multiplication of achievement, endurance, and human impact. We are looking for a partner who understands that extraordinary brands do not merely fund an achievement — they become part of its story.
- One crossing was an achievement. There and back could make history.
- The Channel tests more than strength; it tests what remains when excuses end.
- He lost his legs, not his way.
- Double the distance. Double the challenge. Leave an unforgettable mark.
Become a partner in making history
Sponsorship does not only fund hours in the water. It enables medical and technical training, the boat and crew, safety at sea, nutrition, travel, documentation and the media production of a world-level attempt. Request the sponsorship file and speak with the mission team.
The athlete in the water
Hours in open water, not a view of the sea
The mission is measured in unbroken hours of swimming. The image below is archive material from the documented 2014 English Channel crossing.
Archive · 2014The preparation system
The team building the attempt
Behind every hour in the water is a system of training, experience, planning, and safety. Meet the people supporting Ahmed on the way to a two-way English Channel crossing.
Ahmed Nasef
The athlete of the mission
Read profile
Captain Nabil El Shazly
Technical mentor
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Captain Nasser El Shazly
Historical mentor and mission team member
Read profile
Captain Sameh Nabil El Shazly
Institutional leadership
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Captain Osama El Shazly
Training and historical technical preparation
Read profile
Yasser Kamel
Marketing and communications
Read profile
Swipe to see the whole team
Documented achievement
The Record
All figures below are taken from the official Channel Swimming Association certificate supplied by the project team.
2014
First English Channel crossing documented in the supplied official certificate.
18h 48m
Officially documented crossing time.
England → France → England
The target route of the announced attempt.
Historic attempt
Subject to execution, observation and official ratification.
Testimonial
A Testimonial from an Egyptian Swimming Legend
A message from Captain Nabil El Shazly about Ahmed Nasef and the significance of the upcoming challenge for Egyptian swimming.
How the attempt is built
A world-level achievement is not built in the water alone
Behind Ahmed is a preparation system combining Channel expertise, specialist training, institutional coordination, maritime safety, documentation, and medical and logistics support. Sponsorship does not simply fund a swim; it enables an organized team to turn an exceptional attempt into an executable and ratifiable project.
- 01
Assessment
Physical, medical and technical evaluation of the athlete against the demands of a two-way crossing.
Read more - 02
Training
A structured programme built by coaches with long open-water and Channel experience.
Read more - 03
Open-water preparation
Progressive long-duration sea sessions in cold water, tides and darkness.
Read more - 04
Maritime safety and logistics
Pilot boat, crew, medical cover, feeding plan, travel and accommodation.
Read more - 05
Attempt, documentation and ratification
The attempt under association rules, with observation, documentation and official ratification.
Read more
The mission
The unprecedented mission
The mission is undertaken with the aim of becoming the first double-leg amputee swimmer to complete a two-way English Channel crossing, subject to official observation and ratification.
Announced target · Preparation under way
England → France → England — a two-way English Channel crossing.
- 01
Outbound — England to France
The same direction Ahmed swam in 2014, when he reached France in 18 hours and 48 minutes.
- 02
The turn
A two-way crossing has no rest on land. The swimmer touches French shore and turns straight back into the water.
- 03
Return — France to England
The second leg, swum on a body already beyond a full crossing. This is the part that has never been completed by a double-leg amputee swimmer.
What the mission demands
Tides
Two tidal windows instead of one, with no margin for a slow first leg.
Night
Swimming in darkness, guided only by the support boat.
Endurance
A continuous effort, with no rest on land between the two legs.
The two-way crossing is an announced objective. It has not taken place. Any record standing would be subject to observation and ratification by the certifying body.
Story film
The Story of Ahmed Nasef
From a life-changing accident to the English Channel — and now, the journey back.
Audio: Arabic
The journey
The accident changed his life.It did not end his dream.
A train accident changed Ahmed Nasef's life forever. He lost both legs.
What followed was not surrender, but a decision to rebuild.
Through determination, training and an extraordinary commitment to endurance, Ahmed eventually faced one of the world's most demanding open-water challenges. In 2014, he crossed the English Channel from England to France.
Now, twelve years later, he is preparing to return.
One line, one life
From a life-changing accident to a new challenge
- 01Life
- 02The accident
- 03Loss of both legs
- 04Rebuilding
- 05Training
- 062014 English Channel crossing
- 07Twelve years
- 08The return
- 09A new challenge
The project
An athlete returning to unfinished water
Ahmed Nasef is an Egyptian endurance swimmer and double-leg amputee athlete. In 2014 he swam the English Channel from England to France. He is now preparing for a two-way English Channel crossing attempt: England to France and back to England.
The Athlete
An endurance career built on discipline, open-water experience and competition.
Read moreThe First Crossing
England to France, 20 July 2014 — documented by official certification.
Read moreThe Return
Preparing for a two-way English Channel crossing twelve years later.
Read moreThe Documentary
A film documenting Ahmed Nasef’s journey from the first crossing to the two-way mission.
Read moreFor partners
A platform for purposeful partnerships
Ahmed Nasef's two-way Channel mission creates space for partnerships that bring together sport, discipline, documentation and human impact. Organisations interested in contributing may contact the project team to explore an appropriate partnership structure.
The next chapter has begun.
Follow Ahmed's journey back to the English Channel.