Return to the Channel
The Athlete
Endurance, experience and a career in open water.
Who Is Ahmed Nasef?
Ahmed Nasef is an Egyptian open-water endurance swimmer and a double-leg amputee athlete. After a train accident cost him both legs, the water became the place where he rebuilt a competitive sporting life. On 20 July 2014 he swam the English Channel from England to France in a documented 18 hours and 48 minutes, entered into the Channel Swimming Association Record Book on 1 November 2014. He is now preparing for a two-way Channel attempt: England to France and back to England.
At a glance
- Discipline
- Open-water endurance swimming
- Nationality
- Egyptian
- Signature achievement
- English Channel crossing, England to France, 20 July 2014
- Current status
- Preparing for a two-way English Channel crossing attempt: England → France → England
Archive
The Journey
Five stages define the career: the beginnings, rebuilding a life, endurance training, the documented 2014 crossing, and preparation for the two-way attempt.
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The beginnings
An Egyptian childhood and an early relationship with sport and the water, before the accident that changed the direction of his life.
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Rebuilding a life
A train accident resulted in the amputation of both legs. Rehabilitation, adaptation and a return to the water followed, and swimming became the discipline he built everything else around.
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Training and endurance
Years of pool conditioning and long open-water sessions in cold water, building the stamina an English Channel crossing demands.
20 July 2014
The first crossing — 2014
Swam the English Channel from England to France in 18 hours and 48 minutes. Entered into the Channel Swimming Association Record Book on 1 November 2014.
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Preparing for the two-way attempt
Preparation for a two-way Channel attempt: England to France and back to England, delivered with a technical, medical and maritime team.
Watch the Athlete's Message
Ahmed Nasef speaks about the two-way attempt and the role of partners in the journey ahead.