Eisschwimmen

1300 meters accomplished! Around this point - all body parts had long gone numb - it took an enormous amount of willpower to withstand the cold for a few more minutes. I could only feel the pain, and fortunately, due to my excellent training condition, my movements did not become abrupt but gradually slowed down.

In an emotional and thrilling account, Julia Wittig, a multiple gold medalist in ice swimming and world champion in the prestigious 1000-meter event, describes what she felt while swimming the ice mile of exactly 1609.3 meters in record time alongside her colleague Ines Hahn. Their best time of 21:33 minutes earned them a spot in the Guinness World Records in 2021. However, setting such records requires intense training and proper preparation. Ice swimming is an extreme sport and carries numerous dangers. Yet, there are also many benefits to exposing oneself to the cold: you get cold less quickly in winter, strengthen your immune system, and become ill less often. So how should you approach it when you step into the water? Julia Wittig provides a detailed insight into ice swimming:

Basics: What distinguishes ice swimming from ice bathing? Which bodies of water and temperatures are suitable for ice swimming? How does cold exposure affect the body, and what are its benefits? Why is mental training for breathing so important?
Practice: What safety measures must be observed? What does the basic equipment for ice swimmers look like? What beginner mistakes should be avoided? Do you want to only ice bathe or swim longer distances and increase your time in the water?
Competition: What ice swimming competitions are there? How long does preparation take? How are swimming distances increased? And how do you conquer the ice mile?

Numerous additional tips, plenty of training plans, and personal insights.