January 26th 2022
The toughest swimming test on the planet!
Last weekend Year 8 parent Kate Hartwright took on the challenge of an ‘Ice Mile’, where you must swim a mile in water of less than 5° while wearing only a swimming costume, a pair of goggles and a silicone swim hat. It is an extreme challenge and you need an ECG and medical before any ice mile attempt and a medical team on hand for the recovery phase at the end. The International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) is the only organisation to ratify swims. The ice mile attempt came about by accident when last November Kate realised she could stay in colder temperatures for longer while swimming for fun in the River Thames. Kate had previously swum The Channel but this challenge was on a whole new level.
Last Saturday Kate spent 41.5 minutes in water of 4.5°c to complete her ice mile in Hatfield Lake, Doncaster becoming one of only 623 swimmers to complete a ratified ice mile!
Kate says, “I really enjoyed the first half but struggled to swim the last 400m, known as ‘the death zone!’ All the blood from your arms and legs goes to your core to keep your vital organs warm so it’s like swimming with heavy limbs. I struggled with my recovery and it took me over an hour to be able to walk and talk properly again. Mrs Symonds, Year 4 kindly acted as my ‘buddy’ and it is fair to say we have bonded on a different level now! I did not realise it would be quite such an extreme threat to my health and my sanity until after my swim. It is for sure an extreme test of mental and physical endurance to swim a mile in water colder than 5°.”
Kate is an experienced cold water swimmer and has warned others not to go into cold water swimming half-heartedly as the consequences for beginners can be dangerous, but done properly and gradually it has great benefits for health and well-being.
Kate has used this challenge to raise money for The MS Society https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kate-hartwright-ice-mile
Congratulations Kate!
