Thinking of trying cold-water swimming? In this January 2022 article, Ota explains how newcomers join the Saturday swims in Frýdek-Místek and shares a video of first-time participants. Get in touch or come and meet the group.
On Monday 27 December 2021, it took two people, two axes and ten minutes to prepare the water for our regular swim. Here in Frýdek-Místek, we consider swimming among the ice the highlight of the season. Here are a few photos.
On 25 December 2021, more cold-water swimmers than we could count gathered at U Žida for a dip in the icy Ostravice. As on every Saturday, several newcomers joined us for their first swim — hopefully not their last.
On Saturday 11 December 2021, what I dare say was the campaign’s biggest group of cold-water swimmers took the plunge for early intervention services in Ostrava (www.nebudsrab.cz). The Ostravice was a wonderfully biting 2°C, making it quite an experience.
In other words, great fun. Both the weather and our spirits were good, so we enjoyed the icy water instead of struggling through it. Cold-water swimming in Frýdek-Místek is running like a well-oiled machine. Thank you to everyone who takes part.
Snow fell overnight, and this morning we met for the moment we had been looking forward to since spring: swimming in truly icy water, surrounded by snow.
Whenever I say that, almost anyone who organises group winter swims shakes their head in disbelief. Yes, fifty — sometimes seventy. Once we passed thirty, I stopped counting; it became impossible.
Our group swims have continued throughout November. The water has dropped to a lovely 6°C, and fifty or more of us still gather for our regular Monday, Wednesday and Saturday swims.
This was the saddest swim we have ever had at U Žida. David Grygar died overnight on Thursday: our big-hearted friend, an athlete and a hard worker who fought a serious illness.
