A small but mighty number of people jumped into Williams Lake Saturday, Feb. 3 during the Freezin’ for a Reason fundraiser.
The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the lake temperature was -17C and participants ran in from the beach at Scout Island where a large rectangle had been carved out of the ice, which is only about six inches think now and has been receding all week.
While the temperature hovered over 2C there was a windchill making it feel quite a bit cooler.
Organizer Sunny Dyck, with the Roller Derby Team the Caribruisers, had strategically asked people to arrive at noon so they would acclimatize before the plunges began at 1 p.m.
“People think it is easier to go in when it is not as cold outside, but it is actually more difficult because the water is colder that the air and more of a shock to the system,” she said.
Kate Macalister of McLeese, back for the second year in a row, astounded onlookers by staying in the water for a leisurely two minutes.
Clad in a vibrant hot pink bikini, leggings, a head band, wrist bands, gloves and lightning bolt earrings, she waded out in the water inviting other participants to come back in and join her.
She has been training all winter, submerging in a plunge tub at home, she said.
“I’ve been following the Wim Hoff method and in January I plunged every single day for one minute and up to four minutes in 5 C water.”
According to a web search, the Wim Hoff method involves breathing exercises and cold exposure in the form of ice baths or very cold showers.
Barry Mills used the dunk as a way to celebrate his birthday, while friends Isabella Grimmer and Amelia Chalifoux were on the final leg of fundraising for the Columneetza Secondary School volleyball trip to Hawaii in March and Freezin for a Reason was their final kick at the can.
Carabootique owner Tara Henry led the largest contingent with about eight people on her team, all wearing tropical attire.
“I moved here to Canada in 2022 from San Francisco,” Henry said as she handed out accessories for her team.
Emerson Doering and Ashlyn Gill-Pich were fundraising for the BCSPCA, which maybe got dog-owner Kate Laukkanen’s ears burning.
Laukkanen and her dog Copper were just walking in the area when they heard about the event last minute.
She called and her mom raced down to meet her with a bathing suit and towel.
Laukkanen went in fully to the end of the rectangle in the ice, however Copper, being just a little guy was out very quickly and was soon wrapped up in a towel to warm up.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor was there to support the event.
A total of 73 people registered, but many of them opted to save a polar bear instead of jumping in the water themselves or were represented by a single swimmer.
Dyck has yet to finalize the numbers, but said people collectively raised more than $2,100.
For some videos from the event check out the Williams Lake Live Facebook page.
READ MORE: Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Bear Plunge set for Feb. 3 on Williams Lake
READ MORE: CASUAL COUNTRY: Passionate about volunteering, Caribruisers Junior Roller Derby team
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