Plunging into the Cold: Our Freezebury Challenge
Students Roisin, Karen and Sorayya recently completed Freezebury in aid of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association. They shared their experience with us in this beautiful story.
This February myself (Roisin), Sorayya and Karen dived headfirst into the Freezebury challenge in aid of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association. Freezebury is an event that takes place during February, where participants commit to sea swimming every day of the month. The rules are simple: swim 1-minute on the 1st culminating to 29 minutes on the 29th. This progressive increase not only tests physical endurance against the cold but also challenges mental strength.
As athletes, we’ve always known the sea as a way to recover from sore muscles, the cold water acts as a natural ice bath, working wonders to reduce muscle inflammation. Yet the real shock was the effect the daily dips had on our mental health. The initial shock of cold water doesn’t just wake you up (better than your morning coffee, might I add) but forces the mind to focus, clearing it of clutter and stress. The sudden immersion puts your mind in an almost immediate state of deep, mindful breathing and a heightened awareness of the present moment. Time definitely slows down, giving you ample time to reconsider all your life choices leading up to the swim (just kidding, but it does feel like time takes a little pause)! In these few moments, a state of meditation is achieved. Cold water immersion triggers the release of endorphins in the body which can lead to feelings of euphoria and a natural high. This euphoric release can significantly boost mood, and the high can be felt hours after the swim (even after you’ve piled on seven layers of clothes!). With each day came an added minute to our time in the Irish sea, and the challenge intensified. Being athletes, we are very determined and motivated people, yet this challenge brought a new level of discipline to our lives. Having the goal of supporting the Men’s Sheds central in our minds every day helped us persevere day in and day out during the month.
The beauty of our Freezebury challenge lies not only in the physical and mental challenge but in the shared experience. We had each other every day and we also found great support from our community. There’s nothing quite like the “encouragement” of friends on the shore counting down the time (down to the last agonising second!). They definitely kept us in check! But in all seriousness the strength and motivation that our friends and family gave us throughout the month was immeasurable. So, while the waters tested our limits, it was the support from our friends and family (and the hot chocolate) that truly carried us through the month, as well as our determined commitment to raising money for a fantastic cause.
We were lucky enough to have so many supporters join us for a dip throughout the month, from those first days all the way to the very end. To mark nearing the end of Freezebury, we organised a big group swim on Sunday the 25th. We invited friends and family to join us that morning as we attempted 25 minutes at the Dun Laoghaire Baths, the new swimming area near the East Pier. We had been extremely lucky to that point with the Irish weather, with the exception of the storm on the 8th! Apart from that day, the most extreme weather we had experienced were a few raindrops and maybe some chilly gusts of wind. We had also tested out the Baths as a swimming location, to bring everyone, the day before – a beautifully clear, sunny day the Saturday had been! However, the Baths presented us with the choppiest water we had seen to date that Sunday morning! It was time for a quick change of plans. After a scenic walk over to Sandycove, and gathering people on the way, this cove was as calm as we had seen it.
With relief and excitement, we embraced the sea once more, this time with more support than we had to date. We were so proud to see our friends and family who aren’t used to sea swimming but wanted to show support, tackle the sea with us. Once we hopped out, the baked goods we had made were waiting to be devoured, alongside two large flasks of steaming hot chocolate. After a quick photoshoot, and second and third helpings of the delicious cakes, everyone headed home. It was a fantastic and rewarding day that made us all the more motivated to see the challenge out. Our cold dips were in support of the Men’s Shed Association, which is close to our hearts. With phenomenal encouragement from our supporters and over 160 donations we raised an impressive €4,754. Knowing each shiver and numb finger contributed to a fantastic sum made it all worth it!
We learned about the Men’s Sheds association from dear friends of my family (Sorayya here). They host their local Men’s Shed Association in their yard. This group meets regularly, recently they were working on a sailing boat that needed some real TLC. These family friends told me about the wonderful sense of community that comes with this organisation, how men in the small village have made connections, after their work they have teas and coffees. I was so moved by the work this organisation does and how much of an impact it has on its members and the community. I thought every man of every age could be part of this, how strong communities could be if we all shared our skills and took time to learn from each other and get to know one another. During the month, we learned that our local (Stillorgan) Men’s Association is located in Glenalbyn, which is also where we play Gaelic football. We wanted to bring awareness to this fantastic organisation by supporting it during the Freezebury Challenge and we hope the funds we raised can support the next initiative
