Hello, friends!
Our eighth season of swimming together at U Žida has begun! On Saturday 3 October 2026, we gathered beside the Ostravice River again, and what a turnout it was. Familiar faces, new friends, smiles on the bank and in the water… Look at the group photo and you will see why this morning made me so happy. This is our community, and it feels wonderful to be part of it!
Thank you to everyone who came to swim, cheer others on, lend a hand or capture the occasion in photographs. Each of you brought something to that lovely atmosphere. Today at U Žida was just how I like it: together, full of enthusiasm and happy to see one another again.
A warm welcome to our newcomers!
To everyone who joined us for the first time today, my biggest wish is simple: keep coming, and enjoy being here with us. May that first, slightly uncertain visit become something you look forward to. May you soon know the names behind the smiling faces, and find yourself wondering who you will meet on your next walk down to the river.
As I have been saying for years, it is easier than it looks at first. Having other people around makes an enormous difference. You do not have to outdo the person beside you or set a record for time spent in the water. Find your own enjoyment and a reason to come back. I would love to see you throughout the season!
The best part is what we give one another
Opening day brings a wonderful crowd. But our community is also held together by all the ordinary Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in between. By people who turn up, say hello, share a few words and make someone else's day a little brighter simply by being there. To everyone who keeps coming back: a huge thank you.
The most valuable thing we receive from others here is their company. And we can give them exactly the same joy in return. That is why we start together and why meeting at the river matters to us. We have a place where we belong, people we look forward to seeing and shared memories that last long after we have changed into dry clothes. You cannot buy that. We create it together.
This season, we will help Faunapark and ourselves
The JSEM TU! app joins us for the new season too. It grew out of a wish to support what matters so much to our group: showing up regularly and enjoying our time together. You can keep a winter swimming diary, track your visits and look back over your season. If you enjoy friendly competition, that can provide an extra bit of motivation as well.
For every swim confirmed in the app, a sponsor will contribute one Czech koruna to Faunapark Frýdek-Místek. By coming along and confirming our participation, we can do something enjoyable for ourselves, support our group and help the animals too. Over a whole winter, those individual crowns can add up to a lovely collective contribution. I am very happy about this, and I hope you will join in!
If anything in the app is unclear, get in touch. I will gladly help, so that we can focus on what all this is really for: enjoying our time together at the river.
See you at the river, friends!
We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4 pm, and on Saturdays at 9 am. Please arrive a little early so we can start together. If you are preparing for your first swim, visit our information for newcomers, let me know in advance and come on Saturday at 8:45 am for your first group session.
Today was a wonderful beginning. Now my wish is that we bring this good mood back to the river all winter long. That we want to come because our friends will be there. That newcomers soon feel at home. And that every meeting gives us another reason to smile.
I am very fond of you all, and I cannot wait to see you again. Thank you for building this community with me. Here is to an eighth season full of friendship, shared experiences and joy!
See you at the river,
Ota Zemek
Video from our eighth season opening
Photo gallery: the start of our eighth season
Browse all 40 photographs. Select a photo to enlarge it, and use the button below the gallery to load more.
Opening our eighth season — 3 October 2026
40 photos
