Polar Pugh to swim at Everest with PnP, SAP Africa support
Scheduled for 22 May 2010, endurance swimmer and environmental campaigner, Lewis Gordon Pugh will attempt to complete a 1km swim at an altitude of 5300 metres in the freezing waters of a lake on the Khumbu Glacier under the summit of Mount Everest wearing only a Speedo, cap and goggles. This challenge is the latest in his expeditions to raise awareness about the devastating effects of climate change.
Pick n Pay and SAP Africa have joined forces to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability initiatives by supporting Pugh in his quest to complete the swim.
"As retailers we cannot ignore the fact that global warming is a threat to food security and that the African continent will be one of the areas hardest hit. This partnership provides us with the ideal platform from which to launch an educational and awareness campaign, predominantly targeted at the youth, in order to draw attention to this very real issue,” said Pick n Pay sustainability director, Bronwen Rohland. “We believe SAP Africa is the ideal partner on this journey, as it is not only a global leader in its core business, but also in its sustainable development initiatives around the world."
To the schools
Through the Pick n Pay School Club, climate change educational material will be developed and incorporated into the South African school curriculum and made available to all schools throughout the country. At least 2 000 South African schools will be directly impacted by this initiative. The aim is to reach over 1-million children at schools around South Africa.
Martin Schirmer, director: large enterprises at SAP Africa, said that the company has a dual strategy of being both an exemplar of sustainability, as well as a provider of solutions that contribute to improved sustainability of its customers.
"We took the opportunity of partnering with Pick n Pay to sponsor this project as it gives further credence to the sustainability drives of both organisations," he said. "Lewis has undertaken some of the most gruelling swimming endurance challenges in the name of raising awareness about global warming and the fact that everyone can and should contribute - values that are very close to us as a global organisation."
In a career spanning over 20 years, Pugh has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer. In 2006, he achieved the "holy grail" of swimming when he became the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world. Widely regarded as the best cold-water swimmer in history, he was also the first person to undertake a long-distance swim in the frozen waters of the Arctic and the Antarctic. Follow him on Twitter - twitter.com/lewispugh and on FaceBook - Lewis Gordon Pugh.
