Jan Szczepaniak shows how, regardless of age, one can change their life by embracing physical activity that opens them up to others and to the world. His story is more than just a sports adventure – it’s proof that water can be a form of therapy, a lifeline, and a source of strength in the battle against depression, burnout, and addiction. In the interview, Janek talks about his first experiences with winter swimming, which began in his childhood, the athletic challenges that brought him to the podium, but above all, the journey he undertook to find mental balance and the motivation to act.
Open water swimming, winter swimming, and cold water dipping
You swim in open water even during winter, in water just a few degrees above freezing, and you also practice cold water dipping. Where did the idea for this kind of activity come from?
I unknowingly started cold water dipping back in primary school, when my brother and I used to float down the river on ice floes—and sometimes we’d fall into the water.
Conscious Cold Water Dipping
My intentional cold water dipping began quite by accident. In 2016, I was training in kung fu. I overheard some friends from training arranging a morning dip on Sunday. I was curious how they were planning to do that with the air temperature at -15°C (5°F). I thought, “If they can jump into cold water, then so can I.” We spent half an hour cutting a hole in the ice. I listened carefully to the instructions about what to expect and how to behave. I don’t normally wear a hat, but I put one on for the dip because, as the instructor told me, the most heat escapes through the head. Gloves were also a must, and the best footwear was neoprene boots.
We did a warm-up before getting into the water, and then we stepped in up to our necks for 1.5 minutes. I immediately lost my breath, but I quickly calmed myself using breathing techniques from yoga. I didn’t have boots, and my cloth gloves got soaked as I entered the water. After getting out, we did a quick one-minute jog while swinging our arms, and then we went in again for another 1.5 minutes.
Even though I had loose clothes, it was hard to get dressed after the dip because my fingers were numb. I couldn’t tie my shoes, so I just slipped them on and walked quickly to the car. I felt a strange warmth spreading along my spine. In the car, my body was trembling slightly. Ten minutes later, I was at my apartment door, which I opened with great difficulty because the trembling had intensified. I ran cold water over my hands to bring back feeling in my fingers. It took about half an hour for my body temperature to return to normal.
Inspiration for Winter Swimming
It was a fantastic experience that I quickly got hooked on. At the end of January, I found out that there was a winter swimming club in Tychy, and that for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP), they were going to set up a pool in the town square so people could jump in and encourage bystanders to donate money. I really liked the idea and thought, “I’ve got to go take a dip as soon as I get back from skiing.” I arrived at the square a bit late. They were about to drain the pool, but they let me jump in anyway—and that’s how I joined the Tyskie Sinice Club.
At the club, I learned that a friend was heading to Trzy Stawy in Katowice to take part in a winter swimming competition. A year earlier, he had started with 100 meters, and now he was going for 250 meters. So I signed up for the 250 meters too, thinking, “If he can do it, so can I.” It turned out I did better than my friend, even though I had never swum even 100 meters in cold water before.
Cold Therapy – For the Body and the Soul
For many people, exposure to cold is a therapeutic experience. How is it for you?
I know many people who say they would never get into cold water. But most of them, once they try, continue cold water dipping and notice many positive health changes. Several of my friends openly admit they’ve found tremendous health benefits in their relationship with cold. They’ve overcome alcohol addiction, come out of depression, or—like me—manage to cope with bipolar disorder.
How did the cold change my life?
I was hospitalized twice due to bipolar disorder (BD), as I would fall into deep depression following hypomanic episodes. In 2019, I was discharged from the hospital, but the medication made me sluggish and depressed. I felt very cold and couldn’t bring myself to dip into icy water—depression kept coming back, and I was ashamed to admit it was getting the better of me. The winter swimming community knew me as the guy who jumps into the water without neoprene gear and does full resets.
At the end of October, the winter dipping season was about to begin, and I couldn’t get out of bed after sleeping 10–12 hours. It was raining and gloomy on Saturday. I thought, if it’s the same on Sunday, maybe they’ll postpone the season opener by a week—and I’d be free for a bit from the inner battle about whether I could manage it. But Sunday morning was sunny, and I felt I should show up at the pier. I was still fighting fatigue, so I told myself I’d just dip in, get it over with, and go straight back to bed—just to avoid having to explain myself or what I was going through.
I met up with cheerful people celebrating the start of the season. I forgot about my plan, got into the water, and—as I always used to do—fully submerged my head just before getting out. When I got home, something incredible happened: I no longer wanted to crawl back into my warm bed.
Act Wisely, Consult Your Doctor
The will to live and take action came back! On Monday, I cleaned the large window in my living room—it hadn’t been washed in a year and a half—and I was already looking forward to how beautiful everything would look once I washed the rest of the windows on Tuesday. I have a small garden since I live on the ground floor of a block, but I hadn’t stepped into it for a year or more.
After cleaning the apartment, I got to work on the garden, and within a few days, it began to shine—even though it was already autumn. I happily started attending more winter swimming meetups.
For many years, I’ve also been attending monthly meetings for people recovering from mental health crises, led by a trusted psychiatrist. After a consultation, I slowly began adjusting my medication and reducing the dosage. Over two years ago, while on a summer vacation, I forgot to bring my meds—and nothing happened. I functioned normally.
When I returned, I consulted my psychiatrist about whether I could stop taking the medication. I’m well-educated and highly aware of bipolar disorder (BD) and the factors that can trigger mania or depression, but I still rely on my doctor’s opinion. She agreed that I could come off the medication, as long as I maintained proper sleep hygiene, nutrition, and recovery after physical exertion. After 50 years of smoking cigarettes, I finally quit—I hope for good. I’ve been smoke-free for four years now.
The Season Lasts All Year Round
How do you prepare for the season? Do you swim in pools, train on land? What other physical activities do you do for your health?
Before I fully caught the bug for year-round swimming, I often went hiking in the mountains—and always ended my hikes with a dip in mountain streams, essentially cold dipping, since the water there usually stays below 10°C all year round. For a few years after my initial experience, I didn’t swim at all due to recurring depression that drove me away from cold water. When I returned to the cold dipping community, I learned that a few people from our club were participating in the Ice Cup Poland series—and with some success. I decided to get back into winter swimming in February 2023, making my debut at a 500-meter distance. When I got to know the winter swimming community better during competitions, I really enjoyed the atmosphere among these wonderfully passionate people. Before deciding to increase my distance, I gradually trained by swimming longer sections. During one of these experiments, I "overdid it" a bit. Experienced winter swimmers helped me understand what had happened—on a Facebook group dedicated to winter swimming.
That’s how I met Mirela, who explained what my body went through as I extended my distance and how it reacted. After completing the entire cup cycle, I realized that if I competed at the classic 1 km distance, I could potentially make the podium in the 56+ age group—even though some guys in that group are several, even a dozen years younger than me.
The Road to Winter Swimming – Challenges, Training, and Successes
I decided to take the 2023/24 season seriously and started preparing to compete at the 1000-meter distance. In the indoor pool, I could just barely meet the 25 minutes per kilometer time limit required for pool competitions. My 1 km debut in Łódź went well—I stayed within the time limit, although the water was warm at 11.5°C. But in Świętochłowice, things really hit me hard—the water temperature was just 0.6°C. Swimming 1000 meters took me over 28 minutes, and I needed extra time afterward for my frozen mind to fully comprehend what had just happened. Once I came back to life, I was overjoyed to have managed such a challenge. I watched in disbelief as a few people that day went in for their third kilometer swim in Trombo.
My Journey to Freestyle Swimming
In October, for the first time in my life, I began learning how to swim freestyle – under the guidance of Krzysztof Gajewski. After the competition in Świętochłowice, I got serious about training, focusing on the technical tips Krzysztof gave me. I knew I had to finish within 25 minutes in Gdynia to avoid disqualification. I almost made it – I clocked in at 25:09. They let those 9 seconds slide, and I earned the title "Beast of the Baltic."
Swimming Instead of Skiing
For the first time since learning to ski at the age of 55, I neglected the ski season in favor of swimming. In the previous season, I skied 51 days, but last season – only 18 times, and without my beloved Alps. I signed up for a competition in Ełk, but I forgot to pay the entry fee. By the time I realized it, it was too late. That cost me a shot at victory in my age group, as that event offered a big bonus for arctic water conditions. I did make it to the second step of the podium in the 56+ category in Wolin, at the Ice Cup Poland finale. Winter swimming season ended, but it wasn’t a break – just a transition to the next season of swimming, and more.
Swimming Beyond Winter
Most winter swimmers turn to other sports once the weather warms up. I did too – thanks to some encouragement, I got into open water swimming. That summer, I completed two 3800-meter races in the Aqua Speed OW series, followed by a 10 km marathon from Sopot to Gdynia and back. I missed the time limit by a few minutes due to nutrition mistakes, so I swam around the pier afterward. I also swam 10 km at night in the Wrocław quarry – again, nutrition issues slowed me down significantly. Later, I took on the Vistula River – 36 km from Tczew to the Gulf of Gdańsk in two days. My summer ended with the legendary 24-kilometer Gaston swim on the Elbe River.
Lifeguard – A New Challenge
Amid all that swimming, I quietly passed the national lifeguard exam in June – the oldest person to do so in Silesia, and perhaps in all of Poland. The toughest part was completing 400 meters in under 8 minutes. I did it – even though just a month before the exam, I was still 30 seconds over the time limit.
Swimming and Cold Water Dipping – More Than Just Sports
Swimming competitions and training sessions are about meeting people and building relationships… What benefits has this brought to your life?
Thanks to cold water dipping and swimming, I once met some SUP enthusiasts who were invited to join us—and I instantly fell in love with the sport. I created a group called “We Dip Because We Want To” for active people who have finished their professional careers or simply have free time on Wednesday afternoons. I lead a swim training session, while the others go cold dipping.
Meetups, Friendships, and New Adventures
After dipping, we often meet at a pub for a winter tea or mulled wine, where we share what's been going on in our lives and our plans for spending time after the season ends in March. A traveler who joined the group invited me on several great cycling trips with panniers and tents, as well as on a trekking adventure in Georgia. We sometimes also meet up for skiing in Szczyrk or Wisła—just an hour's drive away.
Since last season, we've been going ice skating before our cold dips. There's a rink near our dipping spot that’s open from December through March. And starting this spring, I’ve been rollerblading—something I learned last year thanks to, of course, the winter dippers from my group.
I’ve also started open water swimming thanks to encouragement from friends in the winter swimming scene. This past summer, I attended three friendly, free swim camps. On a ski trip in the Alps, I met people I introduced to cold dipping—and in return, I received an annual invitation to kayaking trips, which I now attend with my SUP board.
Swimming – Is This My Path?
When you think about the future, do you envision water? If so, why?
In daily life, I try to live in the here and now, but I also work toward both short- and long-term goals. This winter, I focused on swimming after being selected for the national winter swimming team.
I have big plans for the summer, though I’m not sure I’ll be able to realize all of them, as my budget has taken a serious hit due to numerous trips to cup competitions and the World Championships in Molveno. I want to head back to the Vistula River to cover another section with the winter swimmers’ crew.
Sporting Challenges and Aquatic Dreams
Gaston is a must, along with a few SUP races and paddling trips, including the biggest SUP marathon in Europe – Krumlov. I dream of redeeming myself at the Sopot marathon and significantly improving my time in the night swimming race at the Wrocław Quarry.
In September, I’d love to spend a few days swimming with a friend in Iceland. Another dream is the Gdynia–Hel route, and of course the Bosphorus—but without a sponsor, that’s unlikely to happen this coming year. There’s always my bike, which can get me nearly anywhere for free.
So maybe it’s time to finally try a triathlon for my 70th birthday—as soon as I learn how to run !
Interview by: Maciej Mazerant / Managing Editor of AQUA SPEED Magazine
Photos: Private archive of Jan Szczepaniak