The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Officer to push his body to its limit
Set to plunge 24 times in 24 hours into icy waters for Special Olympics
MIDDLETOWN — Middletown police officer Jay Bodell, a 14-year military veteran and former Cheshire detective, thought he was ready for just about any challenge thrown his way.
But when it comes to running into icy waters after a tough New England winter, he very quickly learned being capable of a physical feat is less about physical fitness and all about strength of mind.
For the third year in a row, Bodell, 34, will be diving into freezing cold Long Island Sound, attempting a Super Plunge for Special Olympics Connecticut: 24 plunges in 24 hours at the end of next month.
The last two years he participated in the Rhode Island event. For 2019, the plunge is in Connecticut.
It’s all for a cause, to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics athletes.
Last year, the air temperature was the equivalent of -17 degrees considering the windchill.
“I thought it was going to be a fun night — a bunch of first responders hanging out, and every hour we jump in the water, and maybe there were adult beverages. It was brutal,” Bodell said. Just as the plungers’ feet hit the sand, volunteers stood at the ready with a big towel to envelop them.
“You’re not sleeping, you start to warm up, get your core temp back to normal, and then it’s time to go back in. I didn’t know if could get through it,” Bodell admitted. “You have to be mentally strong, because it really gets in your head.”
Bodell was a shipboard rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard, “but that was many years ago, many pounds ago.”
The plungers have use of hot tubs, and, mercifully, an indoor warming area in the Elks Lodge.
Jackie Turro, senior director of special events, has volunteered for the Super Plunge in Rhode Island for the past two years. “They’re incredibly dedicated. Every hour, they run back in the water right after they’ve finally warmed up, maybe gotten a couple minutes of sleep.
“The thing that struck me the most was the camaraderie they’ve built. A lot of them went into this as strangers. For the past couple of years, they’ve gotten really close. They’re kind of like a small family,” she said.
It’s heartwarming to witness these plungers supported by the Special Olympics athletes they’re doing this feat for, as well as the communities and other first responders who come out en mass to support a good cause, Turro said.
Bodell is using the Middletown Penguin Plunge March 2 at the Elks Lodge at Crystal Lake as a practice run.
“I ask them every year: I love that you guys and gals are doing this, but Why? Have you lost your mind?’” Turro said with a big laugh.
“They always come back with something along the lines of ‘We’ve gotten so much from supporting all of these Special Olympic athletes and this is nothing compared to what they’ve had to overcome.’ It’s their little way of doing whatever they can to make the world a little bit of a better place,” she said.
It’s a tough time to be in law enforcement, she acknowledged.
“It’s not always the greatest environment for law enforcement these days. You don’t call the cops when you’re having a good day. It’s nice for people can see them in a different way: soaking wet, freezing, plunging in again and again. It sends a really good message we’re all in this together,” Turro said.
Bodell has raised $726 toward his $2,000 goal, which he’d like to meet — and maybe even surpass.
When he heard about the challenge, he was all gungho. “It was July and 90 degrees when they asked: ‘24 hours? It sounds like a party. I’m in.’ The weekend before, it was 70 degrees. It was oddly warm,” he said.
But then a deep freeze descended on the area. “That was just the worst possible weekend for it, but we pushed through and motivated each other and did it,” said Bodell, who brings along about six pairs of swimming trunks, 10 T-shirts and an inversion chair, all in the hopes of getting even five minutes of shut-eye.
Middletown Police Chief William McKenna has been very supportive — not only of Bodell’s efforts, but that of all those who take part in Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run events.
Every June, athletes run across the state, carrying the torch for the Olympic Games in New Haven. “It’s something I’m very passionate about, and he was all for it,” Bodell said.
The event takes place March 30 and 31 at the Westbrook Elks Lodge, and all money raised supports Special Olympics’ yearround sports, health and fitness programs for people of all abilities.
Medical personnel are on scene with divers ready in the water. The community support is probably the biggest motivator besides the athletes themselves. It gets trying once darkness falls because the crowds diminish to about five people by 3 a.m. “It’s ridiculously cold,” he admitted.
Volunteers are there with food. “You’re constantly eating all night — and then you wonder how you’re still hungry. But your body is burning so many calories from the extreme cold. It’s an absolute shock to the body’s constitution,” Bodell said.
“It hits you and you freeze up and you warm up and you do it again, so your body is constantly fighting,” he added.
“You start to really hit the wall at 4 or 5 a.m. The sun comes up, and it really hurts more, because it’s morning. It’s at its coldest time, but that last couple of plunges, when people start coming back, the adrenalin kicks in and pushes you through,” Bodell said.
The plungers are there to support the more than 12,000 Special Olympics athletes in Connecticut.
“We don’t hear about their struggles. We don’t hear about them getting picked on at school or just being laughed at. They deal with that. Their families deal with that every single day,” Bodell said.
The community is invited to join the final plunge March 31 at noon after raising a minimum of $100. Those interested may contact Turro at jackiet@soct.org.
To donate to Bodell’s efforts, visit https://bit.ly/2GuPyhL. Check out the CT Super Plunge page on Facebook.