Ice swimming is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but the exhilarating joy of jumping into freezing water has transformed every aspect of Caroline Saxon’s life
The pain has made her fingers feel like they are going to explode, and her feet once got so swollen she had to be carried away from a race. But nothing stops ice swimmer Caroline Saxon plunging into freezing water wearing only goggles, her costume and a cap.
The 31-year-old admits the sport is a long way from a gentle dip but says it’s definitely good different. “It’s like nature on steroids,” says Caroline. “It’s definitely a big shock to the system, but wakes your whole body up, clears your head and gets your brain racing… you can feel it everywhere.”
Ice swimming involves racing in water of less than 5C. And though conditions are brutal, Caroline says it has helped her transform her life – and face her demons.
It’s like nature on steroids. You can feel
it everywhere
“
TAKE THE PLUNGE
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She first started swimming aged nine months and after impressing in the pool, tried open water swimming for the first time aged 13, eventually becoming a member of the GB Open Water team. But in her late teens, Caroline went through a period of poor mental health, partly due to the pressures of swimming competitively: “I massively fell out of love with it. I basically had a mental breakdown.”
It wasn’t until her mid-twenties that she rediscovered her love of cold water swimming for fun, on a trek in Montenegro. Soon, she was back in the water in UK lakes in the winter. While jumping into freezing water might not be everyone’s idea of fun, Caroline believes doing things differently really helps her overall wellbeing. She says: “When I get in, my whole world almost stops. Everything goes still and quiet. It really helps me feel calm.”
Discovering the Ice Mile Challenge gave her training a new focus, and made her want to compete again.
She says: “I built up slowly, reading my body and my danger signals. It’s quite a dangerous sport. Then I began building up my distance.”
Caroline completed her first ice mile in 2018 and recalls: “I was really cold, but I focused on imagining a flame running up the inside of my body.”
By 2019 she was in Murmansk, Russia, taking part in the World Ice Swimming Championships where a zero-degree pool was cut into an icy lake: “I thought my fingers were going to explode – I cannot describe the pain,” she says.
Amazingly, she came second in her age group but, after completing her 1km race, her feet were so swollen that she had to be quickly lifted to the warming up area before her core temperature fell dangerously low.
Caroline, who fuels up with porridge and jelly, usually strips and jumps into skiwear after an ice swim, before doing squats, dancing and having hot drinks to warm up.
She says: “The hardest thing is your extremities, that’s why it’s easier to swim without a wetsuit because it spreads the pain all over.”
Cold calling
Taking to freezing waters rekindled Caroline’s love of wild swimming
Undeterred, Caroline went on to set a British Record at the 2022 championships in Poland. She recently setting a fresh water relay swim record of 77 hours in Lake Windermere too.
She adds: “My grandpa went overboard in the Second World War and floated in the North Sea until he was rescued. I’ve always wondered if it’s a genetic disposition.”
Based in Birmingham and working in property, she’s also launched her own business, The Outdoor Swimming Company, helping other swimming fans tackle wild and cold water safely. And she credits ice swimming with helping her reconnect mind and body: “It’s allowed me to explore a different dimension to swimming. It takes a lot to get yourself into the headspace to get into zero-degree water. I’ve become more resilient. It’s shown me that I can do a lot more things than I think I can and it’s made me a lot braver. I’m more at peace with myself.”
Photography by Gareth Jones
All-rounder
Caroline uses her S-Cross boot as a portable changing room – and its heated seats are a hit after a zero-degree swim
Caroline’s S-Cross Verdict…
“The heated seats are amazing – there’s nothing better when you come in cold and wet from the water. You can put all your layers on and just sink into those warm seats.
“I’m a fan of the massive boot too. I can fit all of my swimming and coaching gear into it with no problems and use it as a portable changing room – laying my clothes out in order so I can get dressed super quickly. Plus, having a four-wheel drive means I can get right up on to the banks of the river without worrying about getting stuck. It’s a good all-rounder – perfect for an outdoor swimming adventure.”
Your adventure starts now
To learn more about the S-Cross, go to cars.suzuki.co.uk
The S-Cross Verdict
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Your adventure starts now
To learn more about the S-Cross, go to cars.suzuki.co.uk
take the plunge