Q: What does it feel like to go into the water when the temperature is four degrees below zero?
A: A lot of people say that winter swimming in lakes is frightening or freezing. But actually it is not. Anyone without a serious illness can manage it if they practise gradually. I come to Shichahai every afternoon and swim for about seven minutes. It makes my body feel quite warm, but if I don't do it for several days, I feel a cooling of this inner heat. So I must keep doing it every day.
How did you get involved in this?
In the late 1970s I was curious about winter swimming and wanted to try it. At that time I worked near a lake in the western part of Beijing and I went swimming every lunch time. About two years ago I thought I needed to do more exercise to improve my health. In Beijing there are about 40,000 people regularly taking part in this sport, and this number has increased from less than 200 about three decades ago. There are annual winter swimming competitions, but I am not an active participant.
What do you usually do before and after you swim?
Before I go down into the water, I do a little exercise. I undress and expose myself in the sun for a few minutes to adapt to the low temperatures. Occasionally I will sing songs in Italian, such as O Sole Mio, which I learned when I was a university student. I think singing can invigorate one's spirit and generate excitement. Other people like to run before swimming, but I do it afterwards. I am usually trembling when I finish swimming and climb onto the bank, and I have to get my clothes on as quick as I can - in just one minute. Otherwise I cannot dress myself because my hands and toes will become numb from the cold. What we winter swimmers fear most is the wind. When it blows, we are frozen stiff.