Polar Plunge: Bucket List Check Off & Tips for Survival

I’ll admit it.  Jumping into a hole cut into a frozen lake was probably the item I looked forward to the least on my 40 Before 40 Bucket List.  It went on and off the draft several times.  I finally committed when I found out about a Polar Plunge event hosted by Law Enforcement to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota.  Now that’s a good reason to jump in a lake!

Once I signed up, I knew two things-

1) If I was going to do it, I was going to do it in style.  A costume was a must!  The idea of mermaids plunging into the water seemed like a good one.  A quick search on Amazon produced these beautiful? outfits.  

2) No way was I going to do it alone!  Recruitment began immediately.

Here’s the story…

What was the activity?

Polar Plunge✅

Who participated?

As I mentioned above, I knew I was not going to do this alone.  I posted about the event on social media and tried to apply peer pressure to everyone I know.  There were a lot of folks who showed interest, but there were only three brave souls who made the jump with me: Kim Olson, Breanna Lowe and Margie Peterson. You ladies are mermaid superheroes! 

When was it completed?

Saturday, February 24, 2018
#25 on list
4th 40 Before 40 Bucket List item completed

Where was it completed?

Law Enforcement hosts many Polar Plunge events across Minnesota between January and March to raise money for Special Olympics.  We participated in the Anoka County event held at Crooked Lake.  Of note, 575 Plungers raised $154,074 at the 2018 Anoka County Plunge! 

Why did I choose to put this item on my bucket list?

I don’t think I had ever heard of a Polar Plunge before moving to Minnesota.  Since moving here, it seems that every year I hear about someone doing it.  I’ve lived here 14 years, it seemed like time.

How did I find out about this activity? How would one go about making arrangements to do this activity?

I found out about the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Minnesota via an online search.  It’s your lucky day…there are still events you can sign up for through the end of March.  Click here for more details.  If it is going to take you a year to muster up enough courage, they will be doing it again in 2019.

You are also in luck if you don’t live in Minnesota.  There are polar plunges to benefit Special Olympics scheduled across the country.  I Googled 15 different states along with “polar plunge” and all had Special Olympics events.  Find an event near you with a quick search using your state.  I will say that I’m not sure it can be classified as a true polar plunge on the beaches of Hawaii or anywhere else you don’t have to cut a whole in the ice.  Just my opinion.

How to survive a Polar Plunge:

1. 1. Recruit as many people as possible to jump with you.  It’s much harder to chicken out if people are counting on you.
   2. Wear costumes.  Costumes make everything more fun.
   3. Remember, it only hurts for a few minutes;).
   4. The energy of the crowd is contagious. Go with it.
   5. Put on your new t-shirt after the event and brag to everyone that you did it!

Interesting tidbits:

• I was quoted in ABC Newspaper regarding the plunge.  Note: You have to be a newspaper subscriber to read full story via link.  Quotation is under photo below.
  

  While many return year after year for the Plunge, Susan Taylor, of Blaine, was a first-timer in 2018. She will turn 40 in February 2019 and during the next year is attempting to do 40 things she has long wanted to do but never done. The Polar Plunge is number three. Next up is a trip to China. Before taking the Plunge she described herself as “a little nervous, but mostly excited.”

• Team “40 Before 40” raised $385 for Special Olympics Minnesota.  Thank you to Robby Cantrell, Retu Saxena, Elizabeth Olson and Linda Sanks for your donations.  A special thanks to the mermaid superheroes-  Kim Olson, Breanna Lowe and Margie Peterson- for donating and jumping!
• The outside temp was 22°F when we made our splash- not too bad for Minnesota in February.
  

  The blocks of ice behind us were cut from the lake to make the plunge pool.

Bucket List Rating:

3.5 Buckets.  It took a considerable amount of willpower to convince myself to purposely jump into a frozen lake.  I ain’t gonna lie, it was physically hard to move once in the water.  My brain took over at that point with the mantra of “get out of here fast, stupid!”

In hindsight, am I glad I did it? Absolutely! There’s even a possibility I could be convinced to do it again.  Any takers for next year?