White, Water, Swimming, Snow
Courtesy of Ger Kennedy, Hydruga Rocks, Antarctica.
The Southern Ocean is at the bottom of the world surrounding the continent of Antarctica. Inhospitable to humans, but site of Ger Kennedy series of ice swims around the ice-covered tundra by some of the most hardened ice swimmers on the planet.
Kennedy undertook three years of planning and envisioning exchanging detailed dialogue with Director of Antarctic Expeditions Ute Hohn-Bowen who was instrumental in making the Antarctica 2020 International Swim inside the Antarctic Circle (66°33′46.5″ south) a reality. It was later nominated for the 2020 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year
14 swimmers entered the waters of Antarctica with their predetermined distances recorded under International Ice Swimming Association rules overseen by MV Ushuaia Expedition Leader Monika Schillat and Kennedy who explained, “From Ushuaia, Argentina, the Polar Swimming Quest set off by ship and stopped in several locations over a few weeks reaching there most southerly point 66.6°S. Seven swims were safely recorded. Cath Pendleton and Paul Eugen Dorin Georgescu swam into the record books by becoming the first woman and first man to complete a mile distance inside the Antarctic Circle at Hanusse Bay in 0.0°C water with 32 minutes 54 seconds and 22 minutes 44 seconds, respectively, for the Zero Polar Ice Mile. Two days later, Iswam another Zero Polar Ice Mile in Paradise Bay in 0.53°C water and -1.10°C air temperatures. There were also four Antarctica Ice Kilometers completed at Deception Island by Kathryn Pratschke, Redy Redfern, Dee Newell, and Jane Hardy. Shorter distances at various locations were made by Tiffiny Quinn, Michelle White, Una Campbell, Martina Ring, Anne O’Donovan, Matías Ola, and Alice Kelliher and support crew members Sean Cullen and Dimcea Lulian Zamfir.”
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