Cold Water & The Great Lakes Jumper

Cold water plunging, diving and therapy have all emerged in the mainstream media over the past five years. See Swedish YouTuber Jonna Jinton’s short The Nordic Morning Routine, actor Chris Hemsworth on his show Limitless, or the multitude of ice bath tanks, like The Polar Dive, now on the market. 

Those who practice cold water therapies tout both its physical and mental benefits. Physically, some benefits may include reducing inflammation and soreness after exercise, a more fortified immune system and better sleep quality. Mentally, the benefits may derive from the production of endorphins, the chemicals in the brain that often spur positive feelings.  

The most prominent celebrity of cold water therapy is likely Wim Hof, the Dutch motivational speaker and creator of the Wim Hof Method which is a practice of breathing, cold water exposure, and mental fortitude and commitment. Also known as “The Iceman”, Mr. Hof is an extreme athlete, holding several records related to cold water and weather exposure.  But his selling point is a belief that his method allows an individual to better control their body and mind. And this idea has always had market and media legs to it. 

If things popularized and eventually commoditized over social media make you a bit skeptical, perhaps a more down to earth story will settle you further with the idea. 

Over a year ago, I friend sent me this article from her college alumni magazine about Dan O’Conor, a Chicago resident who has jumped in Lake Michigan every day since June 13, 2020. Mr. O’Conor has become known as the Great Lakes Jumper, and his streak continues, at least as of this newsclip from early January 2025. 

During the heart of the pandemic times, Mr. O’Conor used gentle promotion of his morning jumps to raise money for Chicago Independent Venue League, an organization that, at the time, was providing financial support for independent music venues as they weathered the lockdown and aftermath. But his why was really not about the promotion or the media coverage. He was doing it for himself. 

In the article that he wrote himself, he states: This became the ritual that I thirsted for to improve my mental health. I started shedding the weight of the world with a simple splash and emerging from the water reborn and revitalized.

This sentiment appears frequently in content about cold water therapy and to me is the most alluring since often, when we care for ourselves, we are better able to care and bring light to others. I have not sought out cold water therapy options or taken a plunge in an icy Lake Erie yet, but I did take a swim in Lake Superior, that even in a summer month, I would describe on the positive as invigorating, on the negative like pins piercing your skin. But I can see how a sustained practice of immersion could bring enormous focus, for a brief few minutes, to simply being alive.  

Information about cold water therapy often includes warnings and directives about safety; see for instance this article from the American Heart Assocation. If this post motivates you to try anything, please do some research before heading out for a polar bear plunge!