Sara Barnes is a self-employed editor based in the English Lake District. She immerses herself in cold water at least once a day, either somewhere in nature, in her outdoor Japanese tub, or further afield to meet other swimmers for a dip in their local waters. She has written for Outdoor Swimmer magazine, The Island Review and the Outdoor Swimming Society, created and appeared in the environmental film Spread the Word Not the Weed and was featured in the 2021 BBC series The Lakes with Simon Reeve. As a natural extension of her mini watery narratives on Instagram @bumblebarnes, Sara plans to offer wild water and words retreats, which will combine her qualification as a Level 2 Open Water Swim Coach and her love of writing in nature.
‘This book beautifully captures the heart of the intimacies found inside the world of cold water from across the globe ... This collection of tales from fully acclimatised cold-water lovers will warm your heart – ready for the acceptance and magic of cold to flow in. Even if you are not a swimmer, this book is a wonderful insight into the joy that appears when we get cold and semi-nude in icy waters.’ – Gilly McArthur, wild swimmer ‘The book covers the experiences of people from around the globe, all with their own reasons for cold-water immersion, each analysed with clarity and feeling. This is a superb read that I will return to again and again.’ – Barry Johnson, triathlete