We broke ice and relay world record

NINETEEN members of the Henley Open Water Swimming Club competed at the winter world championships.

They brought home a combined total of 12 medals from the event in Tallinn, Estonia, in which 1,000 swimmers from more than 40 countries took part.

The competitors swam in multiple races ranging in distance from 25m to 1,000m with different strokes and across age categories in a seawater pool in the port city’s harbour.

They wore swimming costumes, swim hats and goggles but wetsuits were not permitted even though the water temperature didn’t get above 1.5C.

On the fourth day of the event more than 800 competitors set a world record for the largest winter swimming relay team.

Vicky Elson Smith, 53, of Kidmore Road, Caversham, took part in eight races and won a silver medal in the 200m and bronze in the 100m breaststroke.

She said: “I was pleased with that. I also got a few fifth places.

“There was a friendly rivalry and people would point out when there was a race with lot of English and German swimmers.”

Mrs Elson Smith, a physiotherapist, described the cold water as “quite scary”.

She said: “Last year we competed at the championships at Bled in Slovenia and the temperature of the water was about 5C but in Estonia it got down to about 0.5C and they had to break the ice before we could swim in it.

“You are only given a few seconds to take your clothes off and go down the steps into the water and a few seconds later you start.

“There is a reaction that stops you breathing when the cold hits the nerve on your face.

“What I would do is put my face in the water and blow bubbles to prevent me from getting that immediate shock — that allows you to control your breathing and calm yourself down.

“I was trying to help others and, even though I have some experience in swimming in cold water, I was still a little nervous.

“With the breaststroke I could keep my head up and the adrenaline just gets you through. It was really exhilarating and afterwards you were buzzing. They have big saunas so you can go in to warm up.”

Mrs Elson Smith, who was a synchro swimmer and represented England as a teenager, enjoyed taking part in the world record attempt.

She said: “They wanted to get more than 500 people swimming and there were more than 800. It started at 6pm and I went with the early wave but there were still people swimming at midnight when it was snowing.

“I and others were there watching and there was a great atmosphere. The mayor was there taking part as well as the British ambassador.”

Stephen Gould, 60, from Beaconsfield, won five medals, gold in the 450m freestyle, silver in the 25m ice fly, 25m and 50m freestyle and bronze in the 100m freestyle.

He said: “We all go for the experience as we love cold water swimming. It is very inclusive and everyone is wonderful and totally mad. The standard is getting higher each year and the older folk are crazy fast.

“It is as close as it gets to the Olympics — all the national flags are out and the national anthems of the winners are played at the medal ceremony.

“None of us knows how we will perform in water that cold as we don’t have those temperatures at home to be fully prepared. It was definitely the coldest water I’ve ever swum in and the wind chill is brutal.”

Mr Gould, a licensing consultant, said: “I thought I may have had a chance in some of the races but to medal in six out of seven events, I was shocked. It was one of the best weeks of my life.

“I have become completely addicted to ice water swimming. You get this rush and feel incredible all day.

“The best part is it’s completely free. I was going to retire but I am training five times a week now for the worlds in two years.”

Carol Carter, 65, from Rickmansworth, an executive assistant in the NHS, won a bronze medal in the 25m ice fly.

She said: “This is the third time I have taken part and being one of only three women in my age group that is a pretty good achievement.

“The atmosphere was amazing and the support and camaraderie made it all the more special.

“On the day of my first race it was cold but sunny in the morning and it got very windy later in the day. Overnight air temperatures were down to -7C some nights with daytime air temperatures no more than two degrees throughout the week.

“The pool, which had been laid out in the harbour, froze overnight and had to be cleared before the races could start in the mornings.

“The official water temperature was around 1.5C but we all thought it was colder than that.”

She was fifth in her age group for the 50m breaststroke and ninth in the 25m freestyle.

Sharon Elliott, 62, a retired nurse from Marlow, took part in three races and the record-
breaking relay.

She said: “I didn’t win any medals but I did reasonably well in my age category, finishing in the middle of all my races.

“I didn’t really go to compete but to take part. I took part in all the short races, which were freestyle and breaststroke.

“One morning I volunteered to get in and break the ice as I didn’t have any events that day. It had been broken up a bit already but they needed people to go in and break up the pieces into smaller bits, like crushed ice, otherwise the swimmers could cut themselves.

“It was quite fun to do and the weather was beautifully sunny for most of the time, it was just cold.”

Derek Bissett won a silver medal in the 450m freestyle and bronzes in the 100m and 200m freestyle while Gillian McAlister was awarded a bronze in the 4 x 25m freestyle.

Other members of the club who took part were: Victoria Jackson, 45, an RAF officer; Beth Huntley, 36, a horticultural student; Helen McKerrow, 51, technical manager; Clare Moloney, 45, health psychologist; Elizabeth Hanna, 52, PowerPoint designer; Tammy Hirst, 57, physiotherapist; Ross Allen, His Majesty’s ambassador to Estonia; Hella Lipper, 58, head of technical; Gayle Baker, 55, franchise recruitment manager; Caroline Barefield, 57, dog walker; E J Mew, 46, children’s community nurse; Mark Reed, 59, retired social worker; and Helen Murcott, 60, retired.