TAQA snacks, one of IM Capital’s portfolio companies under the USAID-funded Middle East and North Africa Investment Initiative (MENA II), organized an Open-Water Swim challenge from Cyprus to Lebanon to raise awareness on the harmful impact of single-use plastics in the Mediterranean Sea.

On October 17th, 2019, at 13:45 pm, a team of six swimmers (and TAQA Founder, Soumaya Merhi, was part of them!) set out to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an Open Water Swim Traverse from Cyprus to Lebanon. The swim covered an average distance of 180 km.

Each swimmer swam an average of 30km; equivalent to 3 marathons in 2.2 days! In doing so, they completed the very first open water non-stop relay swim from Cyprus to Lebanon, setting the record at 51 hours and 50 minutes upon returning to the Lebanese shores on October 19th at 17:35 pm.

As part of TAQA’s ongoing environmental activism, the OWS – open water swim was organized and produced by TAQA. TAQA is a Lebanese bakery offering a selection of healthy and plant-based oat cookies and energy bars.

TAQA boosted the swim by providing the adequate snacks and nutrients needed, and produced a short movie covering the swim and the environmental cause.

You can watch the movie through the following link: https://www.taqasnacks.com/swim/