You don't have to be Polish to break a cold endurance record... but it helps
There must be something in the (ice) water in Poland because many of our cold endurance records are dominated by natives of the country.
With average annual temperatures ranging between 6°C and 10°C (43°F and 50°F) and regularly dropping below 0°C (32°F) in winter, it could be fair to say they’re a little more predisposed to the cold.
But of course, that doesn’t make their record-breaking stints in freezing water or buried up to their necks in snow any less impressive.
Let’s take a look at these incredibly cool records and the nation that’s dominated them for years…
Longest duration submerged in ice water
The female version of this record was broken for the first time in 2025 by Poland’s Maria Bodaj, who spent a teeth-chattering 1 hr 38 secs immersed in a giant cube filled with ice water.
The water used in this record has to be 5°C (41°F) or below and the person has to be completely submerged, using a snorkel or underwater breathing apparatus.
Maria in ice water
The attempt ends the second any part of the body rises above the water.
Poland’s Damian Kasprzyk holds the male version of this record with a time of 1 hr 29 sec, completed in February this year.
Two other men have previously held the title – both from Poland. Lukasz Szpunar managed 54 min 20 sec in 2024 and Valerjan Romanovski did 58 mins in 2025.
Damian in ice water
Longest time spent in direct full body contact with snow
While the male record seems to be a bit more hotly contested, Maria is “Queen of the Cold” in Poland as she is the only person to ever break the female record.
To claim this one, participants have to be completely covered in snow from their feet to their neck while lying horizontally and they have to do it in swimwear – no thermals allowed!
Maria stayed in the snow for 1 hr 33 min 33 sec when she took on the challenge in February.
Maria in snow
Damian may just be “King of the Cold” as he also holds the male record for this title with a time of 2 hr 12 min 12 sec, completed in February.
But the record has changed hands a lot more.
It was first broken by China’s Jin Songhao with a time of 46 min 7 sec in 2025.
The record then went to someone from Ukraine, back to Poland, to Switzerland, back to Poland again, and very briefly to the UK before Damian reclaimed it for his home nation just a few days later.
Damian in snow
Read about more people pushing themselves to the limit in our Human Body section.
Longest duration full body contact with ice
You guessed it – Maria also holds the female version of this record – they don’t call her “Icebreaker” for nothing.
Maria in ice
For this record, participants must stand in a box full of ice cubes for as long as they can.
All parts of the body, except the head and neck must remain submerged at all times.
Maria broke the record in 2025 with a time of 3 hr 33 min 33 sec, but the first person to set it was the UK’s Allana Bird in 2023, followed by Katarzyna Jakubowska from Poland later that same month.
For the men, the record goes back way further.
It was famous ice man Wim Hof (Netherlands) who first claimed the male title in 2000 with a time of 30 min 9 sec.
The TV presenter broke the record numerous times over the years, but it was also broken by people from Brazil, Germany, China, France and, yep that's right, Poland!
Wojciech in ice
The title is currently held by native Wojciech Pruński, who claimed it in May with a time of 5 hr 8 min 2 sec, showing just how far the levels of endurance have risen in two decades.
So, while people from all over the world are welcome to test their limits with these record titles, it seems you might have a bit of an advantage if you’re from Poland.