'The cold water has given me the key to unlock myself within a place I didn't know existed: the community of cold-water swimmers right around the world. What binds us all together is the cold and how it makes us feel: brave enough to tackle even the toughest of life's issues.'

Having been a keen runner and cyclist all her life, in 2017 Sara Barnes was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis and found herself facing major surgery and a future of limited mobility. Rather than obsessing about what she could no longer do, she decided to focus on what she could do and took to the water of the tarns, river pools and lakes in her home county of Cumbria. A new appreciation of being in nature and love of cold-water swimming and immersion was born.

In The Cold Fix, Sara takes the reader on an enthralling journey, from her first tentative steps into the water, to meeting other swimmers from around the world who share her passion and who can help her answer the question: what is it about cold water that proves irresistible to an increasing number of people?

About the Author

Sara Barnes is a self-employed editor based in the English Lake District. She immerses herself in cold water at least once a day, either somewhere in nature, in her outdoor Japanese tub, or further afield to meet other swimmers for a dip in their local waters. She has written for Outdoor Swimmer magazine, The Island Review and the Outdoor Swimming Society, created and appeared in the environmental film Spread the Word Not the Weed and was featured in the 2021 BBC series The Lakes with Simon Reeve. As a natural extension of her mini watery narratives on Instagram @bumblebarnes, Sara plans to offer wild water and words retreats, which will combine her qualification as a Level 2 Open Water Swim Coach and her love of writing in nature.

Reviews
'This book beautifully captures the heart of the intimacies found inside the world of cold water from across the globe ... This collection of tales from fully acclimatised cold-water lovers will warm your heart - ready for the acceptance and magic of cold to flow in. Even if you are not a swimmer, this book is a wonderful insight into the joy that appears when we get cold and semi-nude in icy waters.' - Gilly McArthur, wild swimmer
'The book covers the experiences of people from around the globe, all with their own reasons for cold-water immersion, each analysed with clarity and feeling. This is a superb read that I will return to again and again.' - Barry Johnson, triathlete



Book Information
ISBN 9781839811586
Author Sara Barnes
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Vertebrate Publishing Ltd
Publisher Vertebrate Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 350g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 16mm