World champion coaches him Bötschi goes winter swimming, beaming with happiness, but then ...
Ice-cold water and an incredibly invigorating feeling afterwards: these are the charms of winter swimming. Bruno Bötschi tried it out - together with ice swimming world champion Deniz Kayadelen.
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- Some people seek the thrill of winter swimming, others hope it will have a positive effect on their health.
- blue News editor Bruno Bötschi tried it out at the Badi Utoquai in Zurich.
- Swimming in winter in Lake Zurich is a special challenge, which is why I sought professional help: Deniz Kayadelen, extreme swimmer and multiple world champion in ice swimming from Männedorf ZH.
A Tuesday in December: it's 10 o'clock in the morning, the outside temperature is 4 degrees and the water in Lake Zurich is 8 degrees.
I'm standing in the Utoquai swimming area in Zurich, wearing just a pair of swimming trunks.
Some people shiver just looking at the dark lake water, others are already eagerly awaiting the next goosebumps: Winter swimming is becoming increasingly popular. I belong to the first group.
New challenges make life more exciting
After successfully swimming in ice three years ago, I thought: now I'm going swimming in Lake Zurich in winter. Always taking on new challenges makes life more exciting.
Nothing can really go wrong on this Tuesday morning, because I have a cool teacher at my side: Deniz Kayadelen has been swimming distances in the sea for two decades, has crossed the English Channel and has also swum around Manhattan.
I couldn't have wished for a better coach than the extreme swimmer and multiple world champion in ice swimming from Männedorf ZH.
And then the time has finally come. I'm supposed to enter Lake Zurich very slowly and I'm scared: Scared. A lot of fear. Watch the video above to find out how I fared in the winter swimming challenge.
Deniz Kayadelen: "The cold water is a teacher"
If you would like to find out more about my teacher Deniz Kayadelen, watch the video interview with her below.
Before I got into Lake Zurich, I spoke to the extreme swimmer about the biggest challenges in open water swimming and what it takes to master them.
"The cold water is a teacher," says the 35-year-old. In the water, she is completely with herself and with nature. Kayadelen compares the state to meditation.
You can find the current winter swimming dates at Badi Utoquai in Zurich and even more information on the topic here.
