“Take off your clothes,” the voice of a foreigner said over the loudspeaker. The voice spoke in a slow, rhythmic manner, accentuating every syllable. “Get into the water.”
It wasn’t the type of voice you did not respect. Even though I was in the Arctic Circle, surrounded by snow and ice on every side, I could get into it. Technically, the 25-meter swimming pool was located in a river, but even in a season when the temperature rises and daylight hours increase, the ice it was cut through was thick enough to allow snowmobiles to travel across. This was the moment I was training for the 50-meter freestyle race for men over the last six months during the Winter World Swimming Championships (WWSC) located in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland.
The winter swimming event is as exclusive as you can find in the international world of sports. With 1,200 athletes is the biggest competition. It’s not huge, but everything you’d find in a significant match or another sport was also in this event. The officials were white-coated who were diligently ensuring proper procedures. The flags were displayed on the bridges over the frozen river in the colors of the 34 countries represented. Also, colorful spectators on the snowy slope overlooked the pool. Many were dressed in wigs, hats, scarves, and other accessories and savoring the carnival atmosphere by singing and chanting.
A majority of people were also swimming. No one knew the exact water temperature, and given that staff using nets were constantly removing the ice dripping from the pool’s edge, it’s fair to say that it was pretty cold. It would be best if you didn’t think of anything else in the city that is home to Santa Claus. However, for those who didn’t get the message, the giant snowman at the stadium’s entrance is sporting a bobble hats and carrying two Finnish flags.
It starkly contrasted my regular swimming sessions on London’s Parliament Hill lido – where I was there three or four times per week, in line with the standard acclimatization guidelines. I was often cold throughout the day but remained without any colds. I was conditioned to feel the shiver when I entered the water. Even if you know it’s approaching, it doesn’t go away, and the cold always finds new ways to reach you, be it in your feet, hands, or teeth. Shower warmly afterward, and you’ll not want to leave.
The event itself was a blast. I was too high on adrenaline to be able to feel chills. It was a long building. We had to walk from our assigned changing rooms (in flip-flops, dressing gowns, and fleeces) to gather in rows inside the heated tent we waited in before getting to the pool’s edge. In the end, I completed the course in just 41 seconds. This was greeted with a resounding nod from a US marathoner I spoke about in the spa afterward. Although I was happy by my time, I was only 33rd of the 40 swimmers in my heat.
Winter swimming is a highly lucrative business not limited to Finland in Finland, where the first WWSC event occurred in 2000, but also across Russia, Eastern Europe, China, and worldwide. However, it does take place on an incredibly human scale. Stars and newcomers can mix in a relaxed manner. Sometimes, they’re the same. I met the male winner of the 450-meter distance in his name Ger, man Christof Wandratsch, a bald, burly, and bearded ex-English Channel world record holder wearing fluorescent clothes. It was the first time he had gone swimming in winter, and he offered me easy tips: “Swim as fast as you can and get out of the water.” Swimming in pools is a popular sport for young people. It is a sport for young people. Rebecca Adlington retired at 23. However, Wandratsch, aged in his late fifties, is a prime illustration of how veterans perform well in cold waters. Youth is an advantage. A little more body insulation isn’t a bad thing.
Endorphins do not discriminate. However, it’s not just to get the buzz many can get. There’s another, more quiet side. Your sense of connection increases to the site when immersed within a place. This is evident especially in Finland, as I discovered during the event in March. But this winter, however, I realized it also applies to London. The water temperature was 6C when I took my first cold-water swim. However, I found it more enjoyable than anticipated, and the peace and calm that followed was felt all day. I enjoyed winter and taking in my surroundings.
It’s no wonder there’s an effort to incorporate the ice-swim as an official Winter Olympic event. It’s everything you could want from a game. At the highest levels, there are thrilling, nearly impossible performances of strength. At the bottom, it’s open to everyone of all ages, shapes, and dimensions. There aren’t many obstacles to accessing the pool. A growing number of people are being enticed by increasing numbers of people enjoying festive cold dips during the Christmas period as well as New Year (even when the one held in Brighton was not saved.
If you weren’t a member, It’s not too late. You are still able to join the CWSC in Tooting Bec Lido, South London, on the 24th of January.
It is also possible to join SwimQuest on a winter trip to Rovaniemi, the city itself. You could also watch for an upcoming WWSC event in Tyumen, Siberia, in 2016. If you think this sounds like a lot of work, remember that the truth could not be more straightforward. Remove your clothes. Put yourself in the water.
