For many, the mere thought of donning swimsuits and diving into ice cold water is enough to generate a few goosebumps.
But for Bill Oswald and his sons, a dip into Blue Marsh Lake on a 40-degree Saturday morning was a breeze.
“I was expecting it to be a lot worse,” said Oswald, a Muhlenberg Township resident. “I don’t think I really felt it until I was up and on my way out of it.”
Oswald was one of dozens who took the plunge during YMCA of Reading and Berks County’s 19th annual Marsh Madness polar swim and fundraiser.
Oswald’s sons Graham, 10, and Vaughn, 13, also said the water wasn’t so bad, shivering slightly as they toweled off.
“It stung right when I put my toes in,” Vaughn said.
The Oswalds said it was their first time doing the challenge.
They and most other participants didn’t linger in the lake — unlike one group of friends who stayed submerged in the 34-degree water for more than five minutes.
Allana Bennett of Reading said she and her friends have been polar plunging in local swimming holes every day for weeks — some since January.
“We’ve been consistently challenging ourselves every day,” Jenny Bisono of Reading saod.
The group said they do it for fun and for the mental and physical benefits.
“It puts you in a fight or flight situation, so when you stay in, it builds your resilience a lot more,” said David Braley of Mohnton.
Ice plunges can help with everything from anxiety and depression to post-workout muscle recovery, the group said.
For father and daughter duo Chris and Isablle Olszewski of Wyomissing, 30 seconds was enough.
“We go in the ocean, it’s cold when it’s like 60 degrees, this is like 30,” Isabelle Olszewski, 18. “This is freezing … you just go numb.”
Despite the cold, participants said they had a great time, with cheers and laughter accompanying the splashing and dunking.
“We dunked last year,” Chris Olszewski said with a laugh. “We weren’t going to dunk this year.”
The Olszewskis were among many repeat plungers, like Karilyn Keese of West Lawn, whose group got festive with full leprechaun attire.
“We all did it last year … Now that I’m out of the water, I will do it again next year,” Keese said.
She and her group were out to support the YMCA, which is donating all proceeds from Marsh Madness to its Open Doors Scholarship program.
“It changes lives for kids,” YMCA President and CEO Phillip Borup said. “Events like Marsh Madness make funding available so all families have equal access for their children to be involved in high quality programs.”
The Open Doors program helps ensure families can afford memberships and programs including youth sports, child care, summer day camp, and swim lessons, regardless of their ability to pay.
“We give maybe a million dollars a year plus in scholarship support to make sure that everybody has access to out programs,” Borup said.
The organization’s goal was to match the 2024 fundraising total of $50,000, said Christina Faller, vice president of marketing and communications.
Borup thanked the event’s sponsors, including main partner Redner’s Markets along with Chicco, Enersys, UGI Energy Services, Mail Shark and the West Lawn Quoiting Association.
Source: Berkshire mont