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The 505 participants each swam the course of 25
metres (27 yards) marked out in a former submarine dockyard,
taking 4 hours and 50 minutes to do so.
The swimmers, many attired with funny hats, ranged from a 9-year
old boy to an 83-year old woman, and included a pregnant woman
who joked her effort should be counted for two.
"It's actually a smart thing to do at this moment”, Roy Vissers,
one of the swimmers, said after emerging from the 4 Celsius
(39.2 Fahrenheit) waters into the below-freezing air.
He believed the sport provided good protection against COVID-19.
"When you're doing this, your body produces extra white blood
cells. So, if a virus comes in, there are more white blood cells
to attack it and kill it," he told Reuters.
Dozens of spectators cheered along the course, many from hot
tubs and mobile saunas set up along the side.
Aivar Tugedam, a winter swimming enthusiast who organized the
event, said he had seen the sport grow in popularity since
Estonia first went into a coronavirus lockdown in spring.
“Let's say from spring until now, I would say the count of the
winter swimmers have tripled in Estonia. It's gone wild and
really popular”, he said.
(Reporting by Janis Laizans; Writing by Andrius Sytas; Editing
by Frances Kerry)
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