EA congratulates British open water swimmer Hector Pardoe on winning 2025 BBC Green Sport Award for Athlete of the Year
British open water swimmer Hector Pardoe has won the 2025 BBC Green Sport Award for Athlete of the Year and received high praise from Silvia Costa, manager of the EA’s Aquatics Social Responsibility project.
The 24-year-old double Olympian was adjudged the athlete most committed to make sport contribute to a better world in the wake of historic consciousness-raising swims in the Lake District and the River Thames, receiving his award at the BBC’s Broadcasting House earlier this month.
Pardoe completed a world first in August when he became the first person to complete the Three Lakes Challenge – comprising Britain’s three largest lakes – back to back in under 24 hours, covering over 34.5 miles in a combined swim time of just 12hr 15min.
He achieved this feat while making a self-funded YouTube documentary entitled King of the Lakes which was watched by more than half a million people.
As well as detailing his Lakeland efforts the documentary also focused awareness on water pollution and raising funds for Surfers Against Sewage.
A week later Pardoe – who finished sixth at the Paris 2024 Games having won world bronze earlier in the year at the Doha Championships – was back in the water publicising the need to clean up our rivers, swimming the length of the Thames as part of a home nations relay challenge.
“I’m really overwhelmed to have been nominated let alone to have won this 2025 BBC Green Sport Award for Athlete of the Year,” Pardoe said.
“It’s been a great year for promoting the environment and the issues related to pollution through a number of iconic swims.
“At times I knew that I had to push through my pain, cold and hunger to further hi-light this issue. For me it’s all about National pride and it’s great that I seem to have inspired a lot of people with my self-funded YouTube King of the Lakes documentary which has already been viewed by more than 500,000 people within the first two weeks of release.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout all of my endeavours and to all who voted for me to attain this award. We need to keep fighting for less polluted waters”.
Costa told European Aquatics: “From an Aquatics Social Responsibility (ASR) perspective this recognition perfectly aligns with our vision that athletes, teams, and all those directly involved in aquatics play a fundamental role as examples and advocates for positive change.
“We believe we are moving in the right direction, and it is encouraging to see growing awareness across the wider community of the need for active engagement in sustainability within our environments and contexts. Together, we can create true waves of change.
“EA also believe this marks the beginning of something much greater in the near future – a movement that will extend across all athletes, teams, aquatic disciplines, and sport in general. Sport has the power to act as a genuine agent of change, contributing meaningfully to environmental education and awareness.
“We warmly congratulate Hector Pardoe on this well-deserved award and recognition.”
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
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