14-year-old Frankie Jackson from Sunderland, is making waves internationally. She is among 49 elite swimmers selected to represent Great Britain at the Ice Swimming World Championships in Molveno, Italy, this week.
Frankie has been preparing for this challenge in the freezing waters of Sweethope Lough in Northumberland, one of England’s coldest open water venues. Training under the guidance of her coach and mentor, Fenwick Ridley – a fellow GB ice team member – Frankie has honed her skills and built the resilience needed for ice swimming.
Last Thursday, Frankie faced one of her toughest tests yet, plunging into Sweethope’s icy waters after the coldest night of the season. Overnight temperatures had dropped to -10°C (14°F), leaving the morning water temperature at a bone-chilling 1°C (33.8°F). Frankie experienced swimming through an ice channel for the first time, a route carefully carved out by her coach using an axe.
Frankie has been featured on the Swim England North East website recently, being one of our dual-discipline athletes. Her connection with open water swimming has allowed her to experience with ‘Ice Swimming’. Read more about Frankie’s dual-discipline athlete career here.
Frankie and her coach arrived in Molveno on Sunday, where she has already completed her first lake swim. The championships will see her compete in three events:
- 50m Breaststroke – Wednesday
- 50m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle – Thursday
These races will be live-streamed here, offering supporters the chance to cheer Frankie on from home as she showcases her talent on the global stage.
From all of us at Swim England North East, we wish Frankie the very best of luck!
