Every Year I Step into Cold Water: The Challenge Has Turned Into a Tradition

The team at kajak.mk recently wrote about Eleonora Dimkovska, the woman from Bitola who is taking brave steps that she herself says are huge challenges for her.

In the previous article, Eleonora shared with us her beginnings in the mountains and how her grandfather encouraged her to fall in love with them. If you want to learn about Eleonora's beginnings, you can read the story with just one click HERE.

Today, Eleonora has gained significant experience in the mountains. She knows how to face the cold weather that strikes the peaks, and she shares her experience with all the young and ambitious people who are considering taking their first step in the mountains.

Eleonora has an unusual hobby. For the second year in a row, she traditionally enters cold mountain water. She started last year, as she says, out of pure curiosity. She wanted to experience the feeling of swimming in winter conditions, to experience the extremity, and to confront herself.

Last year, she entered the Great Lake on Baba Mountain, and the experience motivated her to continue with the mental preparations, which she says were quite fun. She mentions that the biggest encouragement came from her coach, who constantly supported her, but on the other hand, told her that she should experience the challenge of swimming in the coldest period of winter, the month of January.

Eleonora says that through this challenge, she awakens the child within her, but she is also aware of the need to pay attention to the weather conditions and the dangers of swimming in winter. The Great Lake is located at an altitude of 2,218 meters, and it is often completely frozen. The wind and rain play a significant role here. However, if the weather is snowy, Eleonora says that it adds to the enjoyment.

According to her, every move must be done with caution. She advises all adventurers who might be inspired by this story to go to the extreme that it's not as simple as it seems and requires great preparation. Based on her advice, it’s best to start swimming during months like October or May when the temperatures aren’t too low. Once the body adjusts to the cold water, it can then move on to the colder months.

When we talk about the health benefits of swimming in cold water, it should be known that, above all, we strengthen our blood circulation, stimulate the immune system, and prepare the body to defend itself against the viruses that attack us, says Eleonora. All of this protects us from infections, inhibits inflammation, reduces muscle pain in athletes, helps with fat burning, boosts the happiness hormone, and provides other positives.

Regarding women, Eleonora says that many would say, "Why are you swimming in cold water? It's harmful to the ovaries," but according to studies, this is not harmful at all for women. In fact, it is beneficial as it can increase fertility, she adds. Her recommendation for women is not to practice this method during their menstrual cycle.

The team at Kajak.mk asked her about her plans for 2023. She started the sentence by wishing all the readers and travelers of Kajak.mk a Happy New Year, wishing them all the best in the new year. As she adds, she will continue motivating as many young people as possible to encourage them to pay attention to their health, exercise, learn, and continually improve themselves.

We at Kajak.mk also wish Eleonora much success in every field. We are happy to know a heroine who doesn't wear a cape.