The team of 10 locals, who are all part of the Bluetits sea swim group and Healthscape charity, are putting their hardiness to the test at the international, bi-annual swim tournament – held this March in Oulu in Finland.
Two of the local women signed up are over 65 years old and will be competing for the first time.
The sea temperature there is expected to be substantially cooler than the local bathing pools – at freezing point.
‘And to swim, you can only have bathers and a swim cap – no neoprene,’ said Marina Burr, the Bluetit responsible for roping in her fellow swimmers this year.
She was one of four islanders who took part in the previous event, which was held in Tallin, Estonia.
‘I used to be a competitive swimmer, and wanted to prove to myself that I could still compete in my fifties, and that I could do it in those conditions,’ she said.
‘The experience was so amazing, that when I came back and told our swimmers, they decided to join me. I’m excited to go back to the camaraderie of it all. You’ve got so many different people and countries there, and everybody wants to chat.’
About 1,000 people from 40 different countries are signed up to compete in Finland.
The week-long event has been held at various locations across the world. Guernsey, however, could never host as in order for a country to qualify, its waters need to drop below five degrees Celsius.
The championship is made up of a series of races, each held in a six-lane, 25m pool cut out from the frozen water. To allow acclimatisation, the start is split into five-second stages. The first whistle signals time to de-robe and remove shoes. The next is to enter the icy water, and on the third, the race begins.
There are 25m and 50m sprints, as well as longer 400m races. Swim styles vary, but Marina said nobody swims backstroke.
‘Everyone has to have medicals and has to be used to swimming in the sea,’ said Marina.
‘The people who enter the longer races have to have drug and alcohol tests, an ECG, and there’s a medic on poolside. It’s serious stuff. We’re not there to just muck about, but being from Guernsey, we’re not hardy enough to go for the longer races.’
The sprints will have the Bluetits in the water for about 20 to 50 seconds and competitors do not wait for the others to finish before jumping straight out and into a sauna. Those entered in longer races will be submerged for up to about five minutes.
Competitors are split into age groups. Marina ranked 11th in her 55-60 category two years ago.
‘I’m going for top 10 this year,’ she said, adding that the swimmers have been training together ever since.
‘But it’s also about being kind to yourself. Making sure we’re in the water four times a week, but not forcing it. When you’re there, you’ve got the Guernsey flag waving, you’re being cheered round the pool by everyone – the adrenaline takes over. Last time I burnt myself out over-training.’
Janine Le Cras, 65, has been learning Finnish for the occasion and hopes to tick off two of her bucket list items – an ice swim, which is guaranteed, and to see the Northern Lights.
‘I’m well aware of the fact that I’m not an elite swimmer and never will be,’ she said.
‘It’s not whether I can go faster than anybody, it’s whether I can make it from one side to the other in those conditions. It’s only half of the Ladies’ Pool – I’m going with the rationale that the faster I go, the quicker I’ll get out. It’ll be fabulous.’
Two years ago, Janine lost her husband Nigel suddenly, and the week prior to that, she lost her father.
She said it was while trying to gather herself that she found the Bluetits.
‘I already knew the girls quite well, because Nigel and I were both sea swimmers and would often bump into them.
‘When he died, Marina invited me down to Bordeaux on their Sunday brunch swim. I cycled down to meet them, and was immediately folded into a group hug. I haven’t left that group hug ever since.’
The close-knit group of about 20 swimmers range in age from their thirties to their seventies, and swim together most days.
Janine is signed up to three 25m races, and will join the others in attempting a world record for the most amount of people in a swim relay. More than 600 people are entered for this so far.
The Winter Swimming World Championship starts on 2 March. More information is available here.
