Brrrrrilliant result for Dorset woman competing in Ice Swimming World Championships
A Dorset woman who represented Team GB at the Ice Swimming World Championship has come home with silver
A Poole-based swimmer has returned to the UK after medalling twice at the Ice Swimming World Championships in Molveno.
High up in the Italian dolomites, where air temperatures were -2°C, swimmers competed in waters that his lows of 1°C.
The competition sees more than 700 swimmers from more than 45 countries take part in races including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
Elizabeth Mills - who was representing Team GB for the first time - won bronze in the 50m butterfly on day four of the Championships and followed it up by winning silver in the 100m butterfly the next day.
She told us: “This is something I've always dreamed of doing but I never thought it would happen and I certainly didn't expect to medal!
“I came with quite low expectations I just wanted to compete, represent our country and have an unforgettable experience.
But I just swam my hardest, never gave up and to my surprise I’ve actually come away with two medals.”
Ms Mills is a member of the Poole Swimming Club and often trains with Wendy Bates, another one of Team GBs competitors, at the Shaftesbury Lido.
In preparation for the Championships, the pair bathed in waterfilled barrels outside of their home to try and acclimates to cold temperatures.
Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared them for the frozen pool the were greeted with on day one.
Ms Mills told us ice had to be smashed and removed from the pool before competition began every single day.
She said: “It was quite alarming when we were shown pictures of ice on top of the pool but I never doubted my decision, I always knew I would get in no matter what.
“Once you’re in, you don’t have anytime to think. They say: ‘on your marks’, ‘GO!’ straight away so you don’t have chance to think about the cold water.
“It was only on the second length of my 100m butterfly, that I struggled. The cold water zapped all my energy and all the warm blood from my arms went my core to help warm me up.
“So, my arms basically stopped working and I couldn’t really get them over my head for the last 15m, which is a crazy sensation.”
Despite the adversity, Elizabeth said she “couldn’t have been happier” with the result.