Longest swim under ice - breath held (no fins, no diving suit, female)

The longest swim under ice - breath held (no fins, no diving suit) female is 90 m (295 ft 3 in) and was achieved by Amber Fillary (South Africa) in Kongsberg, Viken, Norway, on 5 March 2022.

When Amber first became aware of this Guinness World Records title she tried swimming in icy water and realized she had the ability to stay calm and hold her breath, so it allowed her to try for the record.

As a preparation for this record, Amber did breath-hold training most of the days of the week in a swimming pool, also practising other techniques. She worked out in the gym and did a little running.

Before the record attempt, Amber first went to Berlin to start getting her body used to the cold for about 5 days. Then she went to Norway where she broke the record and practise swimming in the lake. She needed to feel comfortable in the environment with preparation equipment, such as the rope, and the temperature of the water as well.

The training was intense and there were days that Amber did not go so well. She also got sick twice while training, which affected things. She still enjoyed the training even through challenging parts, such as the breath-hold.

She confessed she has never been so nervous as on the day of the attempt. However, all went well and she recovered very quickly. All Amber needed after the ice swim was a little time in the sauna to defrost.

According to Amber, being a Guinness World Records title holder means a lot! She did a speech about the attempt at a children's school and the children love it, as well as the GWR book!