Northland ice swimmer and Frozen Fern Emilia Finer to compete in world championships in Italy

Emilia Finer at this year’s New Zealand National Ice Swimming Championships in Alexandra.

• Emilia Finer, 20, will compete in the World Ice Swimming Championships in Italy from January 13-19, 2025.
• Finer, part of the New Zealand Frozen Ferns, holds multiple ice swimming world and national records.
• She has set up a Givealittle page to help with costs for the championships.

Northland extreme ice swimmer Emilia Finer is getting set to brave freezing temperatures in preparation for the World Ice Swimming Championships early next year.

The 20-year-old is part of the New Zealand Frozen Ferns team heading to the International Ice Swimming Association’s 6th World Championships at Lake Molveno, Italy from January 13 to 19.

Finer, a former Kerikeri resident, was selected for the national ice swimming team just a year after she began the extreme sport.

“I’m stoked,” she said.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to represent New Zealand so I’m grateful to get the opportunity for the first and hopefully many times.”

Ice swimming involves swimming in water of temperature below 5°C unassisted and with only a standard swimsuit, silicone cap, and pair of goggles. Wetsuits and other swim aids are not permitted.

Finer is a competitive pool and open-water swimmer who has represented the Bay of Islands, Bream Bay and Dargaville swimming clubs while living in Northland.

She now swims for Neptune Swim Club and Swim Dunedin, coached by Lars Humer, after moving south in 2022 to study for a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree at the University of Otago.

Emilia with her medal from this year’s National Ice Swimming Championships.

She was introduced to open water swimming with the Bay of Islands Ocean Swimmers group led by swimming coach Karen Markin around 2018, and ice swimming several years later.

“Karen [Markin] was the person who initially mentioned it to me.

“She knows I’m really into my swimming and the events are located close to Dunedin, so I was keen to try it out.

“So I went, it was very cold, but it was a great mental and physical challenge and such a great ice swimming community - I got hooked.”

Finer’s first ice swimming event was at the national championships in Alexandra in Central Otago in July 2023.

She was selected for the New Zealand team at the same competition this year.

She is the current open female world record holder in the 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 250 freestyle in ice swimming and also holds the open female New Zealand and Oceania records in the 500 and 1000 freestyle.

Ice swimming isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Last year a Northland woman was airlifted to hospital after suffering hypothermia during an Otago competition in the freezing waters of Blue Lake.

Emilia Finer is heading to the International Ice Swimming Association World Championships with the New Zealand Frozen Ferns in January.

Finer said there is “definitely a lot of risk” associated with ice swimming.

All participants must have a medical examination and an ECG done before the event and there are support and medical crews pool-side.

“For the shorter distances you get such an adrenaline hit. Even though it’s cold, you don’t notice.

“But as the distances stretch out it definitely becomes harder.

“You’ve got the mental challenge because you’re so cold and, physically, your hands and feet tighten up and go numb.

“You lack your feel of the water.

“The longer you go, it definitely gets extreme.”

Almost 700 swimmers from 44 countries will attend the world championships.

Finer is swimming four events: the 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley, 250 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

She is “beyond excited” to represent New Zealand on the international stage.

“Despite being freezing and not very pleasant at many times, I find it a great mental and physical challenge combined with the most incredibly supportive community.”

Finer’s parents still live in Kerikeri so she travels north for holidays and often joins the Bay of Islands Ocean swimmers for a “warm” swim.

She has set up a Givealittle page to help with travel, accommodation and entry costs for the championships. Visit https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-emilia-chase-records-in-icy-waters.

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.