A South African woman has created a Guinness World Record for the second time by swimming a distance of 295 feet and three inches under the ice.
Amber Fillary achieved this feat in Kongsberg without fins or a diving suit. “The end of my record swim under ice ….. also front-page SA newspaper. Please if you are able make a donation to my crowdfunding as I funded it all myself and still I am far from what it cost me !!!! Big thanks to everyone that has contributed so far and supported me My amazing team in Norway that helped me I could not have done it without you guys,” she wrote on Instagram.
Amber who grew up in Newlands said that even though she was incredibly nervous before the swim, everything got fine for her once she got inside the freezing water.
“I am totally adapted to the cold, so I don’t even get brain freeze anymore. As soon as I get in and start swimming, all my anxiety disappears. Then I am somewhere in my head counting strokes. It was a great swim. I had a lot of air left and I could have done more!” she told Daily Maverick.
Amber had spent several months training with coaches in South Africa, learning free-diving techniques and breath-holding before attempting this stunt. She even worked upon acclimatizing to the cold.
Amber also holds the record for the longest underwater walk, covering some 109.45m in three minutes, and 47 seconds. The talented woman also holds the free-diving, no fins record of 150m, which would be six lengths of your average gym pool.
