Youtube user gmbattlemage, a.k.a Martin Minkov has documented his visit to Golden Bay, as well as his “freezing” January swim a few days ago, and we’re awed by his determination (and by the beauty of Malta’s favourite sandy beach!)
Martin uses an Arnold Schwarzenegger quote to explain his reasons for jumping in in January: “Your mind will tell you to stop but your body can handle much more” he says, adding that he is about to test this statement. “I’m actually going to test that right now and see how I feel about it.”
He has a tactic up his sleeve to help him beat the cold; a quick warm up: “This is not summer, you cannot just go in the water and enjoy it,” he says. “If you warm up in advance, you’ll be able to resist or accept it,” he continues, as he walks into the sea.
His cool and calm demeanour quickly changes into sharp breaths as he paddles deeper and deeper into the water, letting a couple of expletives loose along the way: “I can’t feel my body, it’s f*cking cold,” he says as he swims around to keep warm. Although the freezing temperatures, thought to have been around 9 °C, quite literally knocked out his breath, he does not let the cold beat him and jumps in for a second swim.
Martin’s video comes just one month after Russian Olympic figure skater Alexei Yagudin braved Valletta’s icy waters for a cheeky swim a couple of hours before taking to the actual ice for the Christmas time performance of A Jester’s Wedding.
Although not widespread in popularity, winter-time swimming in Malta enjoys a degree of popularity, mostly amongst athletes, expats and those seeking a quick adrenaline rush. Swimming in winter has many benefits: it boosts metabolism and the immune system (meaning you’ll burn more calories and fall ill less), enhances circulation, is a pretty effective de-stresser and can also improve the libido. Martin also says that once you take a cold swim you'll never be the same again, but are you ready to step out of your comfort zone?
Check out Martin's full video below:
Guide Me Malta advises against swimming in choppy or rough waters, especially in winter. If in doubt, always ask to find out what the safest beach is!