How a combination of faith and curiosity led to holding a world record in ice swimming
One year ago, a 66-year-old man swam in the Watauga Lake for 52 minutes, 57 seconds in 38-degree water, completing an ice mile. Not only did Don Winters finish it, but he also set the world record for the oldest man to accomplish such a feat.
“I went out there, meditated and went through Psalm 23,” Winters said. “As you can imagine, there aren’t any other swimmers out. So, it’s really a personal time where I can enjoy the solitude.”
He leads me beside the still waters
The International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) was formed in 2009 with the hopes of making ice swimming a new sport. The group coined the term “ice swimming” and defined it as swimming in water temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, unassisted, wearing one standard swimming costume, one pair of googles and one standard silicone cap. An ice mile is meeting all those standards at a distance of 1 mile and is deemed IISA’s ultimate achievement.
“I heard about this crazy swim they call an ice mile, which is supposed to be the most extreme swim in the world,” Winters said. “I soon found out why.”
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
Winters, surprisingly, wasn’t born full of faith or with the goal of swimming in frigid waters.
“The Lord got a hold of my life after I got out of high school,” Winters said. “That’s when I got back in church, and I felt Him leading me to ministry.”
Winters spent 30 years traveling the world in his ministry, but about 10 years ago was called back to the mountains where he is now the pastor at Sugar Grove Baptist Church. He, his wife and oldest daughter live in Butler, which is powered by Mountain Electric Cooperative. Winters has another daughter in Alabama and a son in Hendersonville whose families also cheered for Don from a distance.
Soon after joining Sugar Grove, Winters participated in his first triathlon, and that ultimately sparked this ice mile pursuit.
“We’re out in the rural areas of Appalachia, meaning I have to drive an hour to get to any pool,” Winters said. “So, I started swimming in the lake to see how late in the year I could swim before I had to start driving to a pool.”
Most of Winters’ companions would stop swimming around October, but he would keep going through early December. He had read about ice swimming and polar plunges and knew that as a “mountain man,” he was tough enough to at least try. His first wintertime dip in Watauga Lake was in February 2022. Winters, in a single layer, stayed in for just five minutes. After that, he gradually started swimming and did so three times a week, no matter what.
“I swam regardless of the weather — rain, sleet, snow, cold. Sometimes I’d have to wear a big overcoat down to the lake to just get there, and then I’d take it off to swim,” Winters said.
He never was too phased with cold shock, which is when you experience stiff hands, memory blanks and disorientation from being in such cold waters.
“Not being impacted by those symptoms made me think that maybe the good Lord created me to be able to do this,” Winters said.
I will fear no evil; for You are with me
A swimmer can’t decide one day to attempt an ice mile. A lot goes into preparation, including getting a physical and EKG. Those results along with a preliminary swim must be sent off to the IISA to be considered.
Once those numbers are approved, two IISA witnesses come for the day of the event to record the swim, GPS coordinates of the distance and digital readings of the water temperature. A medical team also must be present to follow the swimmer by boat — just in case.
Winters’ preliminary swim was nothing short of a success, but he faced some unforeseen obstacles on the actual day of the record attempt.
“In January, we had below-zero temperatures, and the lake actually froze where my swimming lane was,” Winters said. “So, we had to wait for it to thaw. They ran some boats through the lane to break it up so I could swim.”
Winters did well to start off, despite the conditions.
“I was swimming up next to ice sheets and could actually see birds walking on the ice,” Winters said.
As he neared the last quarter-mile, though, he began to slow down, get confused and even swim in the wrong direction from how cold the water was.
“I was starting to get hypothermic,” Winters said. “I could see the bank and the people, and I knew if I could just get a few more strokes and my feet on the ground, I could get out of this. I was scared to death, but the Lord was with us.”
Almost 53 minutes later and feeling what he described as “fuzzy,” Winters’ staggering feet hit the ground. He was met by his wife with blankets and ran toward the heated truck. At first, the medical team couldn’t get his body temperature, but after drinking his normal hot Tang, all was well, and a record had been broken.
My cup runs over
“Watauga Lake lunatic,” “loco” and just plain “crazy” were all used to describe Winters during his ice mile journey. Despite the playful banter, he was surrounded by so many loved ones during this achievement.
“I had a lot of good church members, several doctors in the church and, of course, my family who were willing to support me,” Winters said.
Some of those members were also the ones on the boat behind him to ensure his safety.
“I was very happy to be able to have the health at 66 at the time and 67 now to be able to get out and do something like this,” Winters said. “But I am very thankful it is over with.”
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
As for what’s next for Winters, he plans to continue swimming in cold waters. However, he doesn’t plan to challenge anyone if they beat his record.
“I was told it would improve your cognitive abilities, and it did. It taught me to never do this again!” Winters said. “If anybody else wants the title, they can have it.”
Winters said he is proud he was able to leave his mark in ice swimming, but if anything comes out of this record at all, he hopes it is to share what he has in Christ.
“If this record goes out and it can open up a door for me to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, then that’s all I care about,” Winters said. “I don’t really care if anyone knows who Don Winters is. Everything I do, I hope it reflects the grace of God in my life.”
