Courtesy of International Ice Swimming Association, Netherlands.

IJszwemmen Is Echt Cool is Dutch for ice swimming is really cool.

Fergil Hesterman, shown above with Birna Hrönn Sigurjónsdóttir on 2000 km swimming road trip through Iceland, was recently named as one of the 2019 World’s 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men.

And for good reason.

Hesterman, whose nickname is the Frozen Flying Dutchman, who organizes one of the largest ice swimming competitions in Europe and founded IISA Netherlands. To date, he has completed 5 Ice Miles and 12 Ice Kilometers in his career.

Among his accomplishments, his career includes the following events:

* 4th place in the Ice Kilometer at the 2017 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships in Germany
* 1st place in the 500m at the 2017 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships in Germany
* Participated in a 45 km relay with Olive Conroy, John McElroy, Ruth McGuigan, Patrick Corcoran, and Noel Grimes with Pádraig Mallon from the Isle of Islay in Scotland to Ireland across the Oa Channel
* 12th in the 2011 LEN Cup 10 km championships in Hoorn, Netherlands
* 1st place in the Ice Kilometer at the 2018 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere German Open in Germany in 12:38.73 over Bulgaria’s world champion Petar Stoychev in 12:38.73 in 3.8°C water and 6°C air
* 1st place in the 500m at the 2018 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere German Open in Germany in 6:13.2
* set the Ice Kilometer world record in the 18-24 year age group with a 12:38:56 in 2017 in 4.2°C water and 7.0°C air in a pool
* set the Ice Kilometer world record in the 25-29 year age group with a 12:38:70 in 2018 in 3.8°C water and 6.0°C air in a pool
* swam an Ice Mile in January 2016 in Volendam, Netherlands in 4.97°C water in 20 minutes 40 seconds in a pool
* swam an Ice Mile in January 2017 in Zwembad de Waterdam Volendam, Netherlands in 4.33°C water in 20 minutes 50 seconds in a pool
* swam an Ice Mile in March 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 4.63°C water in 25 minutes 25 seconds in the sea
* swam an Ice Mile in January 2018 in Zwembad de Waterdam, Volendam, Netherlands in 3.93°C water in 21 minutes 3 seconds in a pool
* swam an Ice Mile in June 2018 in the mountains of Lesotho, Africa in 3.0°C water at 3,000 meters altitude in 21 minutes 51 seconds in a lake
* swam an Ice Kilometer in December 2016 in Burghausen, Germany in 3.8°C water in 12 minutes 40 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in December 2016 in River Labe, Czech Republic in 1.6°C water in 14 minutes 12 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in December 2016 in Vienna, Austria in 4.3°C water in 12 minutes 23 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2017 in Burghausen, Germany in 3.4°C water in 13 minutes 8 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2017 in Zwembad de Waterdam, Netherlands in 4.2°C water in 12 minutes 38 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in December 2017 in Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam in 4.5°C water in 15 minutes 29 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2018 in Veitsbronn, Germany in 3.8°C water in 12 minutes 38 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2018 in Stawy Katowice, Poland in 2.3°C water in 11 minutes 28 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2018 in Zwembad de Waterdam, Netherlands in 3.6°C water in 13 minutes 6 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2018 in Wild Water Armagh, Ireland in 4.4°C water in 13 minutes 13 seconds
* swam an Ice Kilometer in June 2018 in Lesotho in 3.0°C water in 12 minutes 53 seconds at 3,000m in a high altitude swim
* swam an Ice Kilometer in January 2019 at the Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere in Veitsbronn, Germany in 1.4°C water and 2.0°C air in 13 minutes 9 seconds
* raced 500m in December 2017 at the Amstel Ice Swim in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 7:40:23 in 4.5°C water and 0.2°C air temperatures
* raced 500m in January 2018 at the Ice Swimming German Open in Veitsbronn, Germany in 6:13:20 in 3.8°C water and 6.0°C air temperatures
* raced 500m in January 2018 at the Dutch Open Ice Swimming Championships in Zwembad Waterdam Volendam, Netherlands in 6:13:51 in 3.6°C water and 0.3°C air temperatures
* raced 500m in June 2018 at the Lesotho Ice Swimming Championships in Afriski, Lesotho, Africa in 6:20:46 in 3.0°C water and 5.0°C air temperatures
* raced 500m in January 2019 at the Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere Championships in Veitsbronn, Germany in 6:20:40 in 1.4°C water and 2.0°C air temperatures

For information on the IISA Netherlands, visit here.

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