The importance of music extends well beyond its performance.

Ultimately I wanted to be a pioneer swimmer, a distant descendant of Scott, Amundsen and Hillary, except that I would be an explorer of the water.

There is nothing more powerful than the made-up mind.

Going against the tide has never been difficult for me. It wasn't even a conscious decision but the natural consequence of following my own instinct.

When I'm preparing for a swim, I imagine absolutely everything about it: the color of the water, how cold it is, the taste of salt in my mouth. I visualize each and every stroke.

I think that I was slightly naive. I thought that if I showed people the beauty of the Arctic and the beauty of the polar bears that they would care so much that they would stand up and try to make a change.

Climate change is the Everest of all problems, the thorniest challenge facing humankind.