A RECORD-breaking ice swimmer is set to return home from Russia with gold medals after competing on the world stage.
Jade Perry, from Hockley, took top spot in her age group for the 1km ice swim, with a time of 15 minutes and two seconds and came first in the 50m front crawl with a time of 31 seconds.
Winner - Jade celebrates her top spot
The 36-year-old was competing in a 0°C pool carved out of ice with a chainsaw in the Russian city of Murmansk.
The outside air temperatures were between -4°C to -8°C, which is colder than a household freezer. Swimmers must wear regular costumes. Wet suits are not permitted.
More than 400 swimmers from 32 countries took part in the competition and Jade, who was ranked twelfth among the women to begin with, finished ninth overall.
The swimmer, who now lives and trains in Scotland and is sponsored by popular ice cream firm Mackies, said: “Before heading to Russia, I’d never swum in such cold water – they were fishing ice out of the water between swims.
“I was nervous before heading out, but the support I’ve had from friends, family and Mackie’s has kept me motivated.”
Jade is the women’s British record holder for the fastest 1km ice swim – a title she took in February 2018 with a time of 14 minutes and 55 seconds.
She added: “Ice Swimming is such a new sport in Britain, and so isn’t funded in the way that more established sports are - so having Mackie’s get behind me is amazing.”
The temperatures are so extreme, that once out of the icy water, competitors will often experience a phenomenon called “after-drop” where the body reacts to the cold exposure and can trigger violent shaking.
Karin Hayhow, marketing director at Mackie’s, said: “We’re proud to support Jade’s progress as we admire her bravery and determination – and her love for the cold!
“The temperature in Russia was cold enough to keep our ice cream rock solid, but this doesn’t stop her from challenging herself.
“With her motto that it’s never too cold for swimming, and ours that it’s never too cold for ice cream, we knew that there was an affinity there.”
At work - Jade tearing it up in the freezing cold water
Freezing! - an example of how cold the conditions were
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