The Frozen Ferns are Aotearoa New Zealand’s official ice swimming team, representing the country in this gruelling extreme sport.
Ice Swimming is swimming in water of temperatures below 5°C/41°F, unassisted, with a silicone cap, pair of goggles and standard swimming costume. Wetsuits and other swim aids are not permitted – swimmers must brave the cold alone.
A record-breaking team
The International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) has established a comprehensive set of safety and swimming rules together with worldwide swim records. Of the 13 Open World Records in each gender, New Zealanders currently hold eight records in the female division and one record in the male division. In the para division, New Zealanders have two female records and five male records.
Read more about our team in the team section.
Are you cool enough to help out?
Helps the Frozen Ferns get to and compete at the World Championships in Italy.
WHAT WE DO IT FOR!
The World Championships
The World Championships are held in a swimming pool, and ice swimmers compete across all strokes (breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle) in a range of events and distances up to the challenging 1km.
The winners of the 1km freestyle swim will be crowned world Queen of the Ice and King of the Ice.
The seventeen-strong 2025 Frozen Ferns team includes current ice swimming world champions and age group record holders, as well as veteran swimmers who have represented New Zealand on the world stage in other swimming events. They’ll compete at the World Championships in Molveno, Italy in January 2025.