Outback dad aims for NZ ice swim challenge
Twelve-degree water might sound cold for a weekend swim at Lake Speculation near Menindee in far west New South Wales, but it’s not cold enough for Broken Hill's Ben Clavel who is in the final weeks of preparation for his ice swim challenge in New Zealand (NZ).
He was swimming in the lake on the weekend with friend and mentor, grazier Brendan Cullen.
The 46-year-old former NSW police officer is competing in 5 races in water 5 degrees or colder at Alexandra in Central Otago 7 to 10 July: a 100, 250, 500 and 1000 metre freestyle races and a relay team.
“There’s not much cold water around Broken Hill so this is as cold as we can get this time of year. Even the [Broken Hill] pool doesn’t get any colder than here. So then the ice baths are about it.” Ben said from the shores of Lake Speculation.
Ben said Alexandra is the coldest town in NZ. The air temperature last week was minus 4 degrees and the water temperature got to 3.5 degrees.
Ben has been preparing himself by trying to constantly expose his body to cold water. He’s been doing 4am ice baths at Thrive Medical’s plunge pools for 30-minutes followed by a 30-minute warm plunge pool. He then aims to head to the pool and do a 3 to 6km set.
However, he’s not sure if he’s ready or not and it will ultimately be up to the doctor if he can continue to swim after his first 250 metre race.
“The way it works is that you’ve got a doctor on the side…and that doctor will make the call to allow you to continue on. When I get out of the water she may say to me ‘I don’t want you to do the 500’,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be one of those get over there and figure it out. I’ve never swum in anything that cold before…The coldest I’ve swum in is 8 and the coldest water I’ve been in is less than 5,” he said.
This is Ben’s second swim challenge after participating in an English Channel relay swim in September 2023. Ben will be travelling to NZ with Peta Bradley who is based in Armidale and also was a fellow English Channel relay swimmer.
Lifeline ambassador Brendan Cullen joined Ben for the swim at the weekend even though he didn’t feel very swim fit.
“Ben’s got that infectious nature and he’s got the will to jump in the water. What I’ve noticed over the years he does have that capacity to swim in the cold water,” he said.
Ben says doing this swim challenge is about rebuilding his identity after spending 20 years in the police force. He wants to be an example to his three sons about pushing oneself out of your comfort zone.
“It’s certainly nerve-racking. I don’t think anyone particularly likes the cold. I am the same as anyone,” he said.
Ben said he’s tackling the process of swimming in cold water one step at a time.
“The actual arriving to the shore is one bit. And stepping into the water is one bit and dunking down into the water is another bit. Each time I get to that part, I’m able to do that part, I think then just do the next bit until I do the next bit,” he said.
Ben was the first guest of A Home in the Outback podcast released earlier this year where he shared his story of being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and being discharged from the police force in 2021.
ENDS
