Cath Pendleton Wales Ice Swimmer
“I'M NOT THE AVERAGE LOOKING SWIMMER AND ATHLETE. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOUR BODY ACHIEVES WHAT YOUR MIND BELIEVES”.
Bad-Ass Qualifications
Completed a mile swim in the freezing waters of the Antarctic.
Previously worked in the RAF Police & now the NHS.
Selected to represent Great Britain in the World Ice Swimming Championships.
Fitted a freezer in her garden shed to train cold endurance.
Self-promoted her Antarctic challenge, securing sponsorship to fund her training.
As a pod of orca whales lurked nearby and huge glaciers drifted slowly across the clear, ice cold waters of Antarctica, Cath Pendleton looked to become the first to swim a mile so far south.
Having trained tirelessly at her home in Merthyr Tydfil and competing in cold water swimming competitions across the world representing Great Britain, Pendleton found herself on a small inflatable rib, ready to take on some of the coldest water on the planet.
Having always been involved in outdoor pursuits, Pendleton gravitated towards swimming following an injury. Upon discovering cold water swimming, her favourite location being Keeper's Pond in Blaenavon, Pendleton immediately became fascinated by the restorative and energising effects of cold water.
Mother of two daughters and juggling a home life with working for the National Health Service, Pendleton somehow managed to train and prepare for this phenomenal undertaking.
From winter swims in local lakes to further afield, soon swimming became an obsession for Pendleton. And in her own words, the colder the water, the better. She would train by swimming nearly everyday, sometimes on early mornings in unlit lakes, a head torch illuminating the water in front of her.
Soon, Pendleton started to seek bigger challenges. On a whim, she began to learn how to swim the English Channel. It didn't take long for Pendleton to turn this thought into a reality, swimming the width of the channel in 2018. Her increasingly fantastic achievements began to get her noticed. Out of the blue, Pendleton was selected to travel to Russia to represent Great Britain in the World Ice Swimming Championships. This daunting task required her to swim for 1km in water measured at close to zero degrees Celsius. Her resilience and preparation allowed her to place 3rd in her age category, while most of all, coming away having thoroughly enjoyed her experience.
To tackle her most extreme challenge, her training would have to become even more intense. Pendleton would have to endure not only freezing cold waters, but combat the constant wind chill, floating ice and also the whales and leopard seals known to inhabit the Antarctic waters.
Back home, having set up a small pool in her garden and having filled it with bags of ice, Pendleton could be found lying calmly, training her body and mind to endure the bitter cold. However, this could only be part of her training. To push herself further, and having sourced and arranged sponsorship herself, was able to convert her garden shed into her own, purpose built cold endurance facility. Having secured a large chest freezer, she could soon be found submerged in close to freezing water each night.
Upon her arrival in Ushuaia, Argentina, Pendleton and the expedition set out for Antarctica. Massive glaciers, frozen waters and floating icebergs could be seen at every turn.
On the 22 February 2020, on a small boat skimming across the Antarctic waters, the stage was set for the one of the coldest and most southern swims in history. With multiple expedition members keeping a watch from two inflatable boats, Pendleton entered the water.
With numb hands and feet, coughing up what must have seemed like gallons of chilling water, Pendleton began her swim back to the boat marking her one mile target. As she pushed herself to take stroke after stroke, the boat still seemed impossibly far away. However, reminding herself of her journey, her family and her fellow swimmers and expedition members, Pendleton refused to give in and eventually, shouts of delight from the boat told her she had done it. She had made history. Back inside a warm cabin on board the main vessel, wrapped in blankets, still shivering, Pendleton called her family to pass on the news. She had become the first person to swim a mile so far south.
Still in love with the cold water, Pendleton has had time to come to terms with the enormity of her achievement. However, she by no means intends to stop there. Pendleton already has her sights on her next challenge – an ice swim in each of the 7 continents – in her attempt at completing the ICE 7's challenge in 2022.
“IF YOU SET YOUR MIND TO SOMETHING AND YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT, THEN YOU CAN”.
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