Chris Ballard (52, USA, IISA bio here) wrote The Plunge: Maverick Swimmers, an Unlikely Quest, and the Transformative Power of Cold Water about the ice swimming community. As part of his research, he competed in both the International Ice Swimming 6th World Championship in Molveno, Italy and the IISA USA National Championships near Washington, D.C. as well as visited cold-water swimmers in Finland, Ireland ,Norway, England, and Boston.
Publisher Simon and Schuster describes the 320-page book, “The Plunge traces humanity’s long relationship with cold water—from the ancient Greeks and Victorian sea bathers to polar plungers and modern laboratories studying stress, resilience, and mental health, a lifeline for those “drowning on dry land.” Reporting from the front lines of emerging science, Ballard explores how brief, voluntary cold exposure can sharpen focus, elevate mood, reduce inflammation, stunt cortisol, and retrain the body’s stress response, creating a rare state of being both calm and alert.
Along the way, Ballard introduces pioneers like legendary distance swimmer Lynne Cox, follows Ram Barkai’s improbable quest to bring ice swimming to the Olympics, and charts a global movement that’s surged from fringe ritual to mainstream phenomenon. As his reporting deepens, so does his participation: Ballard graduates from cold plunges to competing alongside Olympians at the Ice Swimming World Championships. Along the way, his body and outlook change in surprising and measurable ways.”
Ballard reported, “The early response has been exciting and, I think, reflective of a larger curiosity about this world and the remarkable community you’ve built: the book was selected for the Next Big Idea Book Club, curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink; Publishers Weekly and Booklist both gave it starred reviews; and upcoming coverage includes NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, CBS, Adam Grant’s Re: Thinking podcast, and others.
Publication day is June 9th, and I’d love to see you at one of the upcoming events and conversations:
Bay Area: Launch event at Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookstore, June 9th. RSVP here if interested.
Boston: The Plough & Stars, June 11th in conversation with Elaine Howley.
Blue Flow Great Lakes: Virtual conversation, June 15th, hosted by the US National Team’s own Mary Ann Best. Click here for more information.
Washington, D.C.: July 2026. Details coming soon.
As one Nordic swimmer told me, ‘Everyone needs a little crazy in their life.’”
© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
World Open Water Swimming Federation, a human-powered project
New Open Water Swimming Educational and Motivational Course – register here