Amber Fillary, a South African Guinness World Record holder, is attempting back-to-back new records this year. The 50-year-old currently holds the record for the longest swim under ice on a single breath, wearing only a bikini and goggles.
The 90-metre swim took place in March 2022 in Norway, and this March 2023, Fillary will be back in the country to attempt to beat her current record. She plans to swim more than 110 metres on a single breath.
Fillary then plans to hop straight back into the water and set a new Guinness World Record – the longest swim under ice on a single breath using a monofin.
“I am really excited to be getting back under the ice again this year, it truly is my happy place. These two record attempts are very exciting and very scary at the same time,” says Fillary.
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“It will be intense getting into the icy water twice to do two breath holds in one day, but I’m not getting any younger and want to give this my all!”
The pool in which Fillary’s love of ice water swimming began is the 91.44-metre-long Tooting Bec Lido – one of the United Kingdom’s oldest outdoor swimming pool.
Fillary returned to the special spot in November last year, where she set a record swimming the length of the pool and a few extra metres on a single breath.
“It was such an honour to be able to go back to where it all started and use the swim as part of my training for the new attempts. The water, while not frozen over yet, was below 10 degrees, making it a great training swim!” says Fillary.
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Fillary, a recovering addict and eating disorder survivor, uses her records to raise awareness for mental health issues globally. Fillary’s philosophy is to not let depression and addiction get in the way of achievement and living your dream.
Fillary is currently looking for sponsors to join her on her next record attempt. If you would like to partner with her, you can contact her on [email protected].
You can also help her out via her crowdfunding page here.
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Picture: Supplied