Rob Lea Becomes First Person to Complete the Seven Summits and Oceans Seven

14 Efforts, 17 Years, 7 Continents Later: The "Double Seven" Project Is Complete

NEW YORK, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Endurance athlete and Realtor Rob Lea has successfully completed his "Double Seven" project, becoming the first person to finish both the Seven Summits and the Oceans Seven. Over 17 years, beginning in 2009, he has crisscrossed the globe in pursuit of each continent's tallest peaks and its most iconic open-water channel swims.

Rob completed the Double Seven with his crossing of the Tsugaru Strait in Japan on June 30th. He had attempted the swim once before, in 2023, without success, making this final crossing the culmination of the entire 17-year journey. Rob entered the water just after 4am and finished nearly 12 hours later, just before 4pm. Rising currents and dropping water temperatures made for a difficult final stretch, but he persevered to the finish. In preparation, Rob deliberately gained 30 pounds ahead of the swim, a common tactic among marathon swimmers to build the insulation needed to withstand hours in cold water and stave off hypothermia.

The project combined two legendary endurance challenges. The Seven Summits: the highest peak on each continent: Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), Everest (Asia), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Puncak Jaya/Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania), and Mont Blanc (Europe). The Oceans Seven: the English Channel (England–France), Catalina Channel (Catalina Island–Los Angeles), North Channel (Ireland–Scotland), Strait of Gibraltar (Spain–Morocco), Cook Strait (New Zealand), Molokai Channel (Molokai–Oahu), and the Tsugaru Strait (Honshu–Hokkaido, Japan).

Rob traces it all back to the summit of Aconcagua, the highest peak he'd climbed at the time, and the moment the idea for this project first took root. He'd discovered that pushing his limits made him feel most alive, and he's been chasing that feeling ever since. "We are all capable of doing so much more than we think we can," Rob says.

Rob has often pointed to marathon swimmers like Sarah Thomas and Catherine Breed as proof of what's possible in open water, and hopes his own project helps push the sport toward greater visibility and equity.

Rob is looking forward to some time to rest and recover before deciding what will make him uncomfortable next.

About Rob Lea

Rob Lea is a residential Realtor, endurance athlete and mountaineer based in Park City, UT. After winning his age group at the 2012 Half-Ironman World Championships, he sought his next challenge. Dubbing it the "Ultimate World Triathlon," he climbed Mt. Everest, swam the English Channel, and biked across the US, all within a six-month period in 2019. Lea uses his accomplishments as a platform to advocate for gender equality, climate action, and the protection of public lands.

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