Legendary British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh plans to raise awareness about the importance of healthy waterways by swimming the length of the Hudson River.

Pugh is known for his history of swimming in challenging environments like the Antarctic, North Pole, Red Sea and the Himalayas.

Now the swimmer is preparing to hit the Hudson River for a 315-mile journey from the Adirondack Mountains to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.

"All these swims are very, very challenging, but I still believe that this swim is going to be one of the toughest swims of my life,” he said.

If he succeeds, Pugh will be the first person to swim the full length of the Hudson River unassisted.