Coldvember set for another ‘refreshing’ kickstart
By Chiara Alfieri
As November approaches, so does ‘Coldvember’. Are you ready to dive in?
Every morning of November at 7:30 am, hoards of students brave the chilly water of the Atlantic, at the Blackrock Tower in Salthill.
The event is one of the most anticipated ones of the year, with all proceeds from merchandise and donations going to selected charities each year.
Maisie Hall, one of the organisers of this year’s Coldvember, as well as a student at the University of Galway, told us all about the initiative.
“It started 6 years ago by a group of five young boys that decided that they were going to challenge themselves to swim in the sea every day for a whole month and then raise funds at the same time.”
Starting on the first of November and running until the end of the month, Coldvember involves a daily morning ocean dive at the Blackrock Tower in Salthill to raise money for a chosen charity.
With a total raised of almost €18,500 in 2023, the Coldvember team are aiming even higher this year with a goal of reaching €20,000 in donations.
Cancer Care West
This year, all funds raised by the end of the month will be donated to Cancer Care West, the West of Ireland cancer charity that supports those whose lives have been affected by a cancer diagnosis.
The charity’s Head of Fundraising David O Donnell said they are “absolutely thrilled to be the charity partner for this years’ event.”
Speaking of the initiative, he described Coldvember as a “fantastic initiative”.
“Promoting health and wellbeing is aligned to the values of Cancer Care West. Coldvember has made a huge contribution to charities over the years and we are delighted to be part of it this year.”
Talking about the organisation’s work, Maisie reflected on how it is a matter for everyone.
“We all know somebody who has a family member or has lost a family member to cancer,” Maisie said.
“We’re lucky enough that we were able to support those people through their treatment but some other people aren’t so lucky and need extra support.”
The organisation also provides cancer awareness, educational programmes and undertakes research on patient care, making sure that no one has to go through cancer on their own.
“Every service Cancer Care West provides is free of charge. Events like Coldvember allow us to do that,” David highlighted.
“It’s great that there’s somewhere that they can go for that and the organisation wouldn’t be able to offer their services without people fundraising for them.”
The benefits and precautions to take when diving in the ocean
The Coldvember team recognises the benefits and precautions to be taken when entering the water for the first time and provides a set of ground rules to follow to enjoy the experience to the fullest.
“There are so many benefits, like innumerable. It’s so good for your head and for your body, and also for muscle fatigue.”
When you get in the chemicals that your body releases when it feels the cold water shock is like a big, big rush of dopamine.”
“It’s good for your social life as well because there’s so many like-minded people hanging out down there.”
The list, as Maisie mentions, is long. But some precautions are important and necessary.
“You do have to be careful because it is cold water and cold water shock is a very real thing, so it’s important to acclimatise as you’re getting into the water.”
“Wet your wrists, wet the back of your neck and never jump in off the top if you haven’t been into the water already, especially as it gets a bit colder.”
“If you’re not the most confident swimmer, it’d be best to just walk in down the steps, don’t let go of the rail or just stay near to the steps, and don’t go swimming off too far away.”
Coldvember Sponsors
Every year Coldvember expands more and more. This year, many local sponsors were pleased to participate and “everyone’s really keen to get on board” Maisie tells us.
“All the businesses in Galway are so generous. We’ve been given so many prizes for our quizzes, The Creamery is bringing down hot chocolate and tea as well as Little Collins, Gourmet Tart is doing pastries, and there’s so many others.”
Join in and stay sustainable!
“It’s open to anyone. There’s like young and old, you know, small and tall. There’s literally space for everybody down there.”
Maisie emphasises the team’s attention to detail, highlighting efforts to keep everything as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.
“Everyone’s invited, and make sure to bring your own mug as we won’t have any single-use cups to keep it sustainable.”
Are you afraid of swimming or simply not feeling up to it? No problem, Coldvember is for everyone!
“There’s no limitations on it. If you can’t swim, you can still come down and you can just dance, you can just chat to people. If you want to get in the water, you can do it for one minute or 10 minutes, it’s open to anyone.”
Can’t make it down to Blackrock this year? You can still donate to Coldvember here.
For more information about Cancer Care West click here.
Check out the Coldvember Instagram page here.
