Brave swimmers defy freezing water for a good cause
The combination of a Polar Bear mid-winter open water swim event and an ice bath challenge in aid of a charity organization recently took place at a venue in Olifantsfontein near Midstream and several brave participants showed that they are not afraid to take on cold water in any form.
Polar Bear swims or Polar Bear plunges have been a tradition for years, practiced especially in the northern hemisphere in the winter months.
In Canada, “Polar Bear Swims”, “plunges” or “dips” are a New Year’s Day tradition in numerous communities across the country, but in the United States, Polar Bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization.
This is also what happened recently at a venue in Olifantsfontein near Centurion, when a fundraising event of the organization Breathtaking Fundraising NPC, which collects money to assist Cystic Fibrosis patients, was combined with a local Polar Bear Swim event of Wild Trail SA.
Wild Trail SA’s first Polar Bear mid-winter open water swim event, which was presented at the Prime View Adventure and Leisure venue in Olifantsfontein next to Midstream, attracted around 100 brave swimmers who were prepared to defy the cold waters of the dam on site. According to the organizers, the dam’s water was around 10 degrees Celsius at that stage in the morning.
Swimmers could choose to swim one of three distances. For the bravest there was the 1000m route, while others dared to take on the 500m route. A few cautious swimmers who first wanted to play it safe and test their own abilities, preferred the 250m route.
According to Eric Vermeulen from Wild Trail SA, they plan to host six similar Polar Bear Swim events annually, of which a few will take place in Gauteng.
The well-known national open water swimmer, Reino Von Wielligh, was the first person to complete the 1000m route. Sue Rider and Karen Jankelow, two friends from Johannesburg, were the first women to complete the kilometre long swim in the dam together.
Thanks to the provision of custom ice baths by Truely Health, an ice bath challenge in aid of Breathtaking Fundraising NPC was also able to take place during the same event. Shortly after the ice baths were filled with ice blocks, the water in them was at 6 degrees Celsius and ready for the brave participants in the challenge.
According to Jacques Prinsloo, CEO of Truely Health, the science surrounding the use of ice baths is advanced these days and it is not only used by athletes and sportsmen for muscle rehabilitation, but there is also evidence that it helps with fat burning, while psychological issues such as depression and anxiety can also be treated with this equipment.
Several brave participants did their part in aid of Breathtaking Fundraising NPC. Two of them, De Villiers Botha and Reino von Wielligh. both stuck in the ice baths for 11 minutes.
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