Wanaka swimmer Rachel Armstrong is sorted for the Ice Swimming World Championships in France in January.
Just one problem: the Lake Wanaka temperature is fluctuating between 10degC and 13degC this month and Armstrong is seriously worried it is just too warm — compared to the frozen hole cut in an ice-covered alpine lake that she will be swimming in at Samoens, France.
Armstrong has never been to Samoens and has only seen the swim venue in photos.
"It looks beautiful ... They held the French nationals there a few years ago and put pontoons around it to form a swimming pool in the lake.
"The average in January; 2.5 degrees. We need it to be below 5 degrees. Alexandra [swimming pool in winter] was 3.6 degrees so it is going to be quite interesting," she said.
With Lake Wanaka’s temperature likely to climb to about 16degC by January, Armstrong’s cold water training options are minimal.
Armstrong has dipped in Lake Alta on the Remarkables and in Lake Mavora, but they are about 6degC and still not cold enough, so this week she acquired a chest freezer to sit in.
They met at the inaugural New Zealand Ice Swimming nationals in Alexandra this winter and Armstrong noticed his recovery was faster than other swimmers.
The Alexandra event was her first attempt at competitive ice-swimming.
She was the fastest female in the 1km, second fastest in the 500m and awarded Queen of the Ice for having the fastest 500m and 1km times combined.
She is now ranked 4th in the world in her age group (35-39 years) for the 1km and 3rd in her age group for the 500m.
The NZ team of seven swimmers will attend a UK cold water training camp in early January before heading to France to race between January 12-15.
