Ice swimmers bring medals back to Harrogate district

A group of ice swimmers from across the Harrogate district has come back with top results from the world championships.

Millie Bell, 23, won bronze medals in each of her three events at the World Ice Swimming Championships in the French Alps.

She took part in the 250m, 100m and 50m swims in the 18-24 age group, coming third in each.

She said:

“I wasn’t expecting to get anything. The girls in my age group were pretty fast and experienced.

“I had gone back to the hotel room after one of the races and my friend called me to say I had to come back because I was meant to be on the podium!”

Millie said she had been supported in the competition by her employer, Vp plc in Harrogate. She is now back in training for marathon open water swims in the summer.

Meanwhile, Jacqui Hargrave, 51, came sixth and eighth in her events, which she said she was thrilled with.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“It was absolutely amazing. It was a faster pace than I could ever have imagined.

“I went in having never done this before, expecting not to do anything. To come out with that result was more than I could have hoped for.”

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Both Millie and Jacqui said the water was not as cold as they had thought it might be, measuring around 3.7C across the four days of competition.

Millie said:

“It definitely helped mentally knowing that I can swim in colder conditions. It was the perfect temperature for me – which is bonkers!”

Their fellow Harrogate district ice swimmers, Jonty Warneken and Emily Smailes, also performed well.

Jonty came fifth overall in the 100m freestyle para competition, winning his age category, and third overall in the 50m freestyle para category.

Emily, meanwhile, joined Jonty, Jacqui and Lara Fawcett in the Frozen Roses 50m relay, coming fourth against competition that included a four-time Olympian.

Team GB set 32 new age group world records during the championships, more than any other country taking part.

Jacqui said the experience of being in the team at the championships had given her a sense of achievement, even if she never returns.

She added:

“I’m going to do the GB trials next year, then we’ll see if I try for the world championships again.

“It’s getting so much more popular that the level to be able to compete is getting higher. I will give it everything I’ve got, but it might be too high for me.

“If it becomes a Winter Olympic sport, the level will be so much higher again.

“Being able to do it once is such an accomplishment. I’ve ticked a box and been able to do something not many people have done.”

Harrogate district quartet set to represent Britain in world ice swimming

A swimmer from Knaresborough is one of four locals warming up to represent their country at the world ice swimming championships this week.

Jacqui Hargrave – known as Open Water Woman – is part of a team of four from the Harrogate district competing in the event.

Millie Bell, Emily Smailes and Jonty Warneken will also be taking part in the contest from January 12 to 15 in the French Alps.

The team face water temperatures as low as 2C when they compete against 500 athletes from around the world.

Jacqui will be competing in the 50m and 100m categories and has been in training with the team in Doncaster. She said:

“There’s very strict rules. You can’t dive in head first because it’s so cold you could die.

“It can be dangerous.”

Her sprint race may only last a couple of minutes, but it is still important that Jacqui takes the cold seriously and warms back up gradually.

She uses a hot drink and hot water bottle to help her recover, before taking a warm shower about an hour later. She added:

“There is one person that is there for you, to put your clothes back on and take you inside to see the medical team.”

The team was given a major boost recently when adventurer and Chief Scout Bear Grylls, whose sister Lara is also in the squad, stopped by for a training session.

He posted about the experience on his Twitter account:

Great to swim today with some of the ice swimming GB team! What they’re doing takes courage and determination, and I’m so proud of my sister Lara who is swimming next month in the world ice championships – you’re going to smash it! pic.twitter.com/87K16vIc3E

— Bear Grylls OBE (@BearGrylls) December 27, 2022

Always a keen athlete, Jacqui only began open water swimming 12 years ago after problems with her hips preventing her from running.

She first tried swimming with her friend Andrea and said:

“That was it, we fell in love with it.”

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