Well done to Kate Steels from Great Britain who has just got her Ice 7s, 7th Ice Mile approved by IISA.
To complete IISA Ice 7s one has to swim an Ice Mile in every frozen continent or sea round the world.
- Ice Mile in Africa
- Ice Mile in Europe
- Ice Mile in Asia
- Ice Mile in South America
- Ice Mile in North America
- Ice Mile in Oceana [Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania or around]
- A Polar Ice Mile - and Ice mile north of 70N our South of 60S [Antarctica or the Arctic]
To add some pain to this magnificent gain - one of these Ice Miles has to be a brutal Ice Zero - an Ice Mile in water temperatures less than 1.0C. Kate Ice Zero was completed in far north east China in air temperatures of close to -30C.
So far only three Ice Swimmer has managed to complete the challenge. Jaimie Monahan and Ger Kennedy It requires huge tenacity, fitness and ice tolerance, travel, logistics and some financial support.
Kate has lined up her swim long ago and then CVOID took over with some personal challenges. Kate was about to get on a plane to te Falklands to attempt an Ice Mile when another Covid Wave closed the borders. Kate has managed to ride through the global and personal storms and finally get to a beautiful frozen lake somewhere near Ushuaia in Patagonia, South America and complete her Ice 7s. To her credit, she somehow managed to drag Rory Fitzgerald with her to help, support and suffer with a smile.
Ice Swimming and the Ice Mile is growing in demand. The Ice 7s requires one to travel to remote places, organise logistics and safety and swim. It's an adventure worth every ounce of pain and penny.
Well done Kate Steels
Be safe everyone and see you soon in the ICE.