Icelabbers at the Scandinavian Winter Swimming Championship

Doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in IceLab today are drivers of a highly social, open and adventurous work culture. Recently six of them took this adventurous spirit to the next level by taking part in an ice swimming competition.

This chilly Saturday, six intrepid members of IceLab embarked on a memorable adventure at the Scandinavian Winter Swimming Championship in Skelleftehamn. Their participation marked the culmination of weeks of mental and physical preparation, involving dips in freezing lakes, rivers, and bathtubs, but most importantly, it was filled with laughter within the IceLab community. The team’s journey began a day earlier with the aim to attend the opening ceremony in the biting cold of -20°C, setting the stage for the challenge that lay ahead. They warmed up (their voices) with road trip karaoke, fueled up with a high-calorie dinner to maintain their energy, and spent the night together bonding and having fun.

The championship day broke at a frosty -22°C, but it didn’t deter the IceLab team, who were ready to dive into waters at -0.9°C. Our teammate Antón (Master’s student working with Ludvig Lizana) took the lead, representing IceLab in the 25m race, finishing with an impressive time. Following him, teammates Rebecka, Maja, Rubén, and Adriano took part in an exhilarating relay race, donning magnificent rainbow squid hats that would make Agatha Ruiz de la Prada proud. Finally, our teammate Josephine faced the grand challenge of swimming 50m in the icy waters. This moment will be remembered not for the finishing times or for being frozen like a Disney ice queen, but for the laughter and excitement shared by our teammates. In summary, this is yet another activity and anecdote that reflects the wonderful atmosphere of IceLab!