Renowned ultra-endurance swimmer and Olympian Neil Agius completed a swim across the Grand Harbour, in Valletta recreating the route attributed to the Great Siege hero Toni Bajada. Afterwards, he donated his swimming cap to Heritage Malta, where it will become part of the national collection.

Agius set off from beneath the imposing walls of Fort St Angelo in Birgu and made his way upwards towards Fort St Elmo in Valletta. Accompanied by a Transport Malta boat, assuring safety throughout the endeavour, he completed the crossing in 30 minutes.

Heritage Malta said that more than 460 years ago, these waters presented a very different challenge. Toni Bajada, a Maltese man from Naxxar who had reputedly learned Turkish during his captivity by the Ottomans, was among those hand-picked by Grand Master Jean de Valette to infiltrate the enemy lines, joining four other Maltese spies.

Local stories recount that Bajada courageously swam this route under cover of darkness to deliver vital intelligence. Most notably, he volunteered to deliver an urgent letter from Grand Master de Valette to the defenders of Fort St Elmo, who had endured nearly a month of relentless attacks. The letter urged them to hold their position.

Following the commemorative swim, Neil Agius formally donated his swimming cap to Heritage Malta. This is the same cap he wore when he completed the world record for the longest unassisted, continuous open sea swim, around the Maltese Islands in 2024.

Heritage Malta said that the donation took place outside the early-18th-century St Anne’s Church, at Fort St Elmo’s Piazza d’Armi, which houses the remains of the knights who fell defending the fort during the Great Siege of 1565, as well as the National War Museum’s memorial.

Following necessary procedural checks by conservators, the cap will become part of the national collection. Heritage Malta’s intention is to display it among the exhibits in a section celebrating prominent Maltese swimmers at the Malta Maritime Museum once it reopens. In this way, historic bravery is connected with modern athletic achievement.

While thanking Neil Agius for his donation, Heritage Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, Noel Zammit, remarked that, “this swim demonstrated the relevance of Heritage Malta’s message that our heritage is alive. Neil Agius created a bridge between the past and the present and showed that our heritage remains alive when we find ways to make it resonate to life today.”

Neil Agius stated that this swim made him reflect on Toni Bajada’s extraordinary courage and on how deeply the sea is woven into Malta’s story. He added, “it is a privilege to honour that connection and to contribute, in my own way, to its next chapter.

Donating the swimming cap I wore during my world-record swim to our national collection makes this especially meaningful. I hope it reminds younger visitors that history is still being written, and that they, too, can contribute to the story of our islands.”

The cap is now on display in the Great Siege section of the National War Museum at Fort St Elmo. Visitors can view the display until Friday, the 23rd of October.

The fort and museum open daily from 9am to 7pm, with free entry for Heritage Malta Student and Senior Passport holders.

Photo: Heritage Malta

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