How long can you last in the cold?
On Friday, one extreme athlete appears to have set a new Guinness World Record in Calgary for the longest time spent in an ice bath.
Andre Belibi from Switzerland completed the attempt at the Calgary Marathon Runner’s Expo at Stampede Park, where he spent a cool four hours and six minutes submerged in ice inside a glass box.
He surpassed the previous record of four hours and two minutes.
Belibi said he spent more than two years training to complete the feat.
“You do a lot of mind training, a lot of breathing, a lot of meditation. Of course you do ice bathing, exposure to cold weather, ice weather… but the mind is the engine, the motor that pushes me to keep on going.”
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He said the key for spending long periods of time in the ice is to take it one step at a time.
“Breathing, meditation, relax, accept it… What I focus (on is) a milestone — hour by hour, or 30 minutes by 30 minutes.”
To verify the record, an official said they will submit evidence to Guinness for review, a process which may takes weeks to complete.
Throughout the world record attempt, Belibi was monitored by an EMS team. Pads and sensors were placed on his body to check his heartrate, core temperature and carbon dioxide levels.
After completing the attempt, he was taken out of the ice bath with the help of several officials, wrapped in blankets and loaded onto an awaiting ambulance to warm up.
The extreme athlete is no stranger to pushing his body to the limits, finishing ultra-marathons as well as running across America and Africa.
He used Friday’s world record attempt to raise money for Autism Canada.
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