Stroud Masters Take the Plunge on Christmas Day 2011

Stroud Masters swimmers Lewis Saunders and Richard Searle, along with other swimmers aged 16+, braved the 70C waters of Cheltenham Lido on Christmas morning. The air temperature, although a positively warm 11oC, felt bitterly cold due to the windy conditions. The pair, who earlier in the year took part in a ½ Ironman, must have felt more like men of steel than iron, when, along with 200 other fool hardy souls, they plunged into the icy waters of Cheltenham’s famous swimming resort. May to September the pool is heated to a tropical 24 oC.

The event has now been running some forty years. This year, possibly because of the 2010 event being cancelled, saw a record number of swimmers taking. Numbers are typically around 70.

Not put of by their exploits of Christmas Day, Lewis and Richard, along with other members of Stroud Masters - who have a large number of world class open water swimmers, are planning a lake swim to see in the New Year.

Richard Searle and Lewis Saunders