The Beauty of Cold: The Joy of Swimming Through Winter

This is a very special event to kick-off our new season of Outdoor Adventures.

The Evening:

Join cold water coaches and swimmers Gilly McArthur & Becca Harvey for a delve behind the scenes and under the robe of Gilly’s new book “The Beauty of Cold – the restorative power of cold water for connection and Joy” (There will also be a chance to buy Gilly’s book and get it signed on the night). This event will ignite your love of winter swimming, with friendship and joy, and a large serving of the stories that didn’t make the final draft. This event is for the newbie cold-water curious and the hardened winter aficionado alike. This one-off event pairs two familiar faces from the outdoor swimming community for a rare crossover that’ll leave you seeking winter waters before autumn leaves are even turning.

The Who:

Gilly McArthur: Gilly is a cold-water swim coach and free climber. Born in the north of Scotland and shaped by a life spent outdoors, she sits at the intersection of nature, wellbeing and resilience. She has travelled the world in pursuit of these passions and has worked across the outdoor industry for more than 2 decades. Much of Gilly’s work is deeply connected to mental wellbeing and nature connection, and she passionately shares her love of cold water and the natural world with CEOs, charities, sportspeople, actors, businesses and individuals. Her work has been profiled in National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveller and on the BBC. She has been featured in various award-winning films – “Body of Water” filmed in 2021, captured her search for ice across the UK. She has written many books and publications on the topics of cold water, belonging, and well-being. Her work is grounded in experience and supported by growing research on the effects of cold water on mental health. Gilly is also part of the swim coaching team for Outside2 – a UK-based university programme exploring the use of outdoor swimming and cold water to improve wellbeing for patients with depression and anxiety. In addition, she was the director of the Women’s Trad Festival and is the founder of Blue Mind Men – a men’s cold-water swim club. Becca Harvey: Becca has completed an Extreme Ice Mile, and she became the subject of the documentary “The Ice Mile”, which was previously screened at the Curzon. She is an outspoken water being who is, by her own admission, more at home in cold water than on dry land, yet still struggles to keep a swim cap attached to her head. Somewhere along the way, cold water stopped being a hobby and became a way of proving to herself she could do things, whether it was putting herself out there or pushing past the ‘sensible’ option. By day, she’s a full-time creative, helping businesses and athletes make content that connects and building the kind of memories people don’t scroll past. She’s also a swim guide working across Scotland. She can regularly be found with a microphone in hand, podcasting or commentating at swim events. For Becca, it all started right here at Clevedon Marine Lake; the community here didn’t just teach her to swim outdoors; they’ve been a part of building the person she is today. Becca is beyond excited to be here for an evening of chat, chaos and being trusted enough to delve into this author’s origin story properly. Gilly is slightly nervous about their friendship and the unedited cold water exploits being exposed on a large stage!