A daily dip to do some good
She swam in Lake Ontario every day for a year, and she’s not stopping now
While many of us were layering ourselves with warm coats and fuzzy socks this New Year’s Eve, Dylan Friedmann was stepping into the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. She’d done it every other day of 2021, so she wasn’t about to stop before the end.
Friedmann, who works in a financial technology agency, completed her chilly marathon Friday — her 365th daily dip of the year, in the lake water off Toronto’s east-end Beach neighbourhood, a feat she celebrated with a bottle of champagne on the beach.
Speaking to the Star this week, Friedmann said the project was in part to raise money for Kids Help Phone, a charity that offers confidential 24/7 mental health support to young people.
“The most important thing to me was tying it to the charity, it’s there to support youth and children who have needs,” Friedmann said. “As the immersion helped me, it made me think of others who don’t have the capacity to take part in such activities or maybe could just use a friend or someone to talk to.”
The calm and satisfied feeling of stepping into the cold water for up to 10 minutes — many celebrities and athletes swear by the benefits of cryotherapy or cold water therapy — is also something she hopes others will experience in their daily life after hearing her story.
Friedmann said while the immersion gives her joy, it might not be for everyone. Potential cold-water dippers should research on their own and prepare themselves both mentally and physically before taking a plunge.
“I do it first thing in the morning, it invigorates me, raises my energy levels and makes me ready to take on any challenges,” she explained.
Like anyone else, there have been times when sleepless nights and multiple work projects left her exhausted, but the post-swim relaxation and feeling blissful kept her going.
“It’s a very reflective time for me. I love the quiet, the calm, the feeling of the water, being immersed in nature and fresh air,” she said.
She started the daily immersions on Dec. 15, 2020, and although she has often gone into the lake with friends, most days were solo.
Even solo, there’s still a “community feel” down by the boardwalk, following her pre-dip routine of running, stretching and yoga, as people on morning walks, bicycle riders, passersby and, of course, cute dogs greet her.
Former Star reporter and photojournalist Dale Brazao, who has been photographing Friedmann through most of her aquatic journey and was there Friday, said he first noticed the swimmer and her friends while looking for photos of the sunrise from the boardwalk.
He describes the scene that day as a “great photo, steam rising out of their heads, backlit by the beautiful sun peeking through the horizon.”
Friedmann says she’s not stopping at one year — she plans on continuing her journey to the end of 2022 as well.
People can donate to Kids Help Phone through CanadaHelps.org until Friday.
As the immersion helped me, it made me think of others who don’t have the capacity to take part in such activities or maybe could just use a friend. DYLAN FRIEDMANN