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‘Right from the beginning when I enter the water, my limbs, especially my feet and hands, are in agony. It’s painful,’ remarked the 52-year-old.
An attempt to set a world-first swimming record occurred in Barrie on Sunday as Cindy Guyon, a native of Collingwood, braved the icy waters of Kempenfelt Bay.
Guyon, aged 52, was striving to become the first Canadian to butterfly-swim one “ice mile” under the criteria established by the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA), and possibly the first woman globally to achieve this milestone. Only one male has ever succeeded.
As per Guyon, Amy Ross was one of the pioneering Canadian women to achieve the ice-mile under IISA guidelines, albeit not with the butterfly swimming style.
A mere 12 individuals in Canada have completed the ice mile in any variant, alongside 569 people internationally.
In addition, Guyon is fundraising for breast cancer research as a part of her endeavors.
“There are numerous regulations in place to guarantee that anyone trying this is adequately prepared,” Guyon clarified on the shore just before she entered the water.
“This is not a competition, so whenever I feel that my body is signaling ‘oh, this isn’t good’, I will exit the water prior to completing the full mile, which is perfectly fine. I will then attempt it again in the spring,” she elaborated.
Signs that things are starting to go wrong during a swim are when her core begins to feel warm, “and I think, hey, this isn’t so bad. This is really good. That’s when I understand that, yeah, it’s time (to cease and exit the water).”
Even at the commencement of a swim, the physical sensation isn’t particularly pleasant, either.
“Right from the start when I step into the water, my arms and my legs, particularly my feet and hands, are in anguish. It’s painful,” Guyon noted. “Then I can sense my limbs starting to tingle, and around 400 meters in, they begin to numb.
“As long as I can feel that vibrant cold, then I am ready to proceed.”
With a crowd of supporters urging her on, Guyon ventured into the water and commenced her swim. She maintained a robust pace, but unfortunately, after an incredible 47 minutes in the 2-degree Celsius water, she concluded her historical attempt.
Due to the extreme cold, Guyon fell just short of her objective, falling 200 meters short. She managed 1,420 meters before ceasing.
Guyon had difficulty reaching the shore, and upon being retrieved from the water by her family and friends, she was unable to stand unaided. She was promptly escorted to a nearby warming tent to recuperate.
“I almost achieved it, but I’m eager to attempt again in the spring when the sun is shining and the water temperature is between four and five degrees, which is what I initially expected,” she expressed a few hours post-swim.
What runs through her mind after 30 minutes pass and the swimming becomes arduous?
“My thoughts wander, so I really focus on swimming in a straight line while also monitoring my body, determining whether I should exit, which I should have done a bit earlier,” Guyon stated.
She mentioned that her arms weren’t coming out of the water as much during her swim, a sign of distress taken seriously by her team, prompting them to halt her attempt.
“I was on autopilot at that stage,” Guyon added. “I wouldn’t have been calling any shots and likely would have just continued, so it was prudent on their part.
“I’m not disheartened.”
To assist in warming herself, her team dried her off in a heated tent nearby and provided her with warm beverages, along with hot packs and hand warmers. She immediately mounted a rowing machine in the tent and rowed for 30 minutes, aiding in maintaining her blood circulation and proper temperature.
After departing the beach, she was placed in a warm bath to fully recover.
Guyon mentioned that she accomplished more on this day than she anticipated and is looking forward to training through the remainder of the winter before taking another shot at the ice-mile record when she returns to Centennial Beach.
“The support system I had was absolutely incredible,” she said about her friends and family present on Sunday.
The video below displays the immense effort exerted by Guyon in her record attempt.
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