Writer Chris Ballard started off writing about the growing sport of ice swimming and the thousands of devotees from around the world who swear by swimming up to a mile in water below 41-degrees Fahrenheit.
The next thing he knew, he’d been swept into the community, where he found swimmers ranging in age from teenagers to octogenarians, all of whom had their own reasons for joining the sport.
Some say the bracing water cured their physical, emotional, or mental challenges. Others were lured by the physicality, and the idea of pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones.
“The Plunge” examines Ballard’s success and low points of his swimming journey, and also the science, the community and the future of the sport. He joins host Robin Young to talk about it all.
Book excerpt: ‘The Plunge’
By Chris Ballard
Excerpted from the book “The Plunge” by Chris Ballard. Copyright © 2026 by Chris Ballard. Reprinted courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2026 WBUR