Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Aleksander Brylin of Russia was one of the inaugural honorees of the Ice Swimming Hall of Fame.
It was no surprise that Brylin was recognized as an Honor Swimmer by the organization founded by Ned Denison and Paolo Chiarino, Elaine Howley, Pádraig Mallon, Leszek Naziemiec, Kieron Palframan, Shelley Taylor-Smith, and Jonty Warneken.
Brylin has been a well-known, well-respected and personable figure in the ice swimming community for some time. Among Brylin’s accomplishments are as follows:
Certified Ice Miles:
16 December 2012 Tournament of Russian Cities in Tyumen, Russia: 2200m in 1 hour 5 seconds in 0.3°C water and -33°C air temperatures
12 June 2017 in Lake Baikal, Russia: 1650m in 36 minutes 58 seconds in 4.7°C
Recorded Ice Kilometer Races:
20 March 2105 IISA 1st World Championships in Murmansk, Russia: 20 minutes 14 seconds (breaststroke) in 0.08°C water
10 April 2106 World Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia: 21 minutes 50 seconds in 0.0°C water [Ice Zero breaststroke]
08 June 2017 in Lake Baikal, Russia: 21 minutes 51 seconds in 4.6°C water
25 February 2018 IISA Great British Championships in Hatfield, England: 20 minutes 50 seconds in 3.6°C water
Pioneering Epic Swims:
5.6 km Diomede Islands Swim on 1 August 2014 from Little Diomede Island, USA to Big Diomede Island (Ratmanova Island), Russia breaststroke in 2 hours 7 minutes in 4°C – 6°C water [ae charity swim with MadSwimmer to support children in need in South Africa and Russia]
Organized and participated in the 2013 Bering Strait crossing
20 km down the fast‐flowing River Yenisei in Krasnoyarsk, Russia in 2006 in 1 hour 52 minutes in 8°C water
Organizer and participant of a 65 km relay across Lake Baikal from Olkhon to Gremyachinsk in 2007 in 10°C water and 2.9°C air
Denison explains, “The objective of the Ice Swimming Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor leading ice and icy water swimmers and contributors to the sport. The Ice Swimming Hall of Fame serves as a historic record and provide heroes and role models for future generations.
In addition to Brylin, Honor Swimmer and Honord Administrator Ram Barkai, Honor Event Bering Strait Relay from Russia to USA, Honor Swimmer Henri Kaarma of Estonia, Honor Swimmer Jaimie Monahan of the USA, Honor Swimmer Lewis Pugh of Great Britain, Honor Contributor – Administrator Mariia Yrjö-Koskinen of Finland, and Honor Contributor – Media Steven Muñatones of the USA were also honored.”
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