Join the Adventurous Swimmer Winter Challenge!
November 19, 2025 9:24 pmAs winter settles in, many of us feel the urge to hibernate… but at Adventurous Swimmer, we believe the colder months are the perfect time to feel truly alive.
We are Ben and Beth, the people behind Adventurous Swimmer. Our journey started with a shared love for the water, but the true spark came from Beth’s incredible determination. Since 2018, Beth has been taking on open water challenges in “skins” (no wetsuit!), from swimming an Ice Mile in sub 5°C water to conquering the English Channel Solo in 2022. Most recently, in 2024 she even became one of the few women to complete a North Channel Relay while still breastfeeding postpartum.
Inspired by the grit, community, and sheer beauty of open water swimming, we launched Adventurous Swimmer to celebrate the places we swim and the people we meet along the way. Now, we want you to be part of that story.
Our Winter Swimming Challenge Whether you are a seasoned ice swimmer or just looking to keep dipping your toes in until spring, we have a challenge for you. Inspired by the iconic lakes of the Lake District, we’ve created five virtual distance challenges to keep you motivated through the winter gloom.
You can swim anywhere—a lake, the sea, or a river—and log your distance virtually. The goal is to complete the total length of your chosen lake between November 1st and March 31st.
Choose Your Level:
- Swim Winter-mere (18 km): The ultimate challenge for expert swimmers (approx. 1km/week).
- Swim Ulls-winter (12 km): A serious distance for committed winter swimmers.
- Swim Cold-iston (8.5 km): Perfect for intermediate swimmers wanting a steady goal.
- Swim Chill-mere (6 km): A great target for novices keeping their fitness up.
- Swim Bitter-mere (2 km): Ideal for dippers and beginners starting their journey.
How to Join It’s not too late to start! You can backdate any swims to November 1st, so if you’ve already been braving the cold, those metres still count.
Participation is virtual, meaning you can swim at your own pace and in your own local waters. Simply track your swims on your favorite app (like Strava or Garmin) and upload them to your personal progress page. (if you don’t use a watch let us know before registration and we can alter your page)
Rewards: Completing a winter swim is a badge of honor. Literally! Sign up for Basic Entry to earn a beautiful sew-on challenge badge for your dryrobe or towel. Or, upgrade to VIP Entry to get the badge plus exclusive Adventurous Swimmer gear (check the sign-up page for this year’s specific VIP reward).
Ready to find your limits and join a community of like-minded wild swimmers? Click here to Sign Up for the Winter Challenges
Stay safe, stay chilly, and we’ll see you in the water!