Courtesy of Nuala Moore from inside the Polar Circle.

The average age of the fastest men in the 1000m race at the recent International Ice Swimming Championships in Murmansk, Russia was 35-48 while the average age for the fastest women was nearly half or 18-24.

But young or older, their times for swimming in 0.8°C water and -7°C air temperatures were mind-boggling:

1. Renata Novakova of Czech Republic – 14:21
2. Elina Makinen of Finland – 15:12
3. Iveta Novakova of Czech Republic – 16:27

Nuala Moore summed up their accomplishments, “Their times are well beside the men. They are so young and so beautiful in person and in sport. The two sisters from Czech – Renata and Iveta – swim one kilometer each weekend of the winter…they start from 10°C to 0°C and then back up.”

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