The Plunge
Maverick Swimmers, an Unlikely Quest, and the Transformative Power of Cold Water
Impossible d'ajouter des articles
Désolé, nous ne sommes pas en mesure d'ajouter l'article car votre panier est déjà plein.
Veuillez réessayer plus tard
Veuillez réessayer plus tard
Échec de l’élimination de la liste d'envies.
Veuillez réessayer plus tard
Impossible de suivre le podcast
Impossible de ne plus suivre le podcast
Bénéficiez gratuitement de Standard pendant 30 jours
5,99 €/mois après la période d’essai. Annulation possible à tout moment
The Plunge
Lu par :
Chris Ballard
Acheter pour 16,99 €
-
Lu par :
-
Chris Ballard
-
De :
-
Chris Ballard
"Mesmerizing...I loved this book.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author
When award-winning Sports Illustrated writer Chris Ballard receives a cryptic text promising to extend his athletic life, he has no idea it will lead him into a parallel athletic universe—one populated by record-breaking grandmothers, obsessive scientists, rogue visionaries chasing Olympic legitimacy, and everyday people willingly plunging into freezing water together, a realm that subverts the idea of what “elite” athletes are supposed to look like. What begins as curiosity becomes a three-year reporting journey across continents, from the saunas of Finland and seas of Ireland to Norway, England, and Boston.
Blending adventure journalism with rigorous research, The Plunge traces humanity’s long relationship with cold water—from the ancient Greeks and Victorian sea bathers to polar plungers and modern laboratories studying stress, resilience, and mental health, a lifeline for those “drowning on dry land.” Reporting from the front lines of emerging science, Ballard explores how brief, voluntary cold exposure can sharpen focus, elevate mood, reduce inflammation, stunt cortisol, and retrain the body’s stress response, creating a rare state of being both calm and alert.
Along the way, Ballard introduces pioneers like legendary distance swimmer Lynne Cox, follows Ram Barkai’s improbable quest to bring ice swimming to the Olympics, and charts a global movement that’s surged from fringe ritual to mainstream phenomenon. As his reporting deepens, so does his participation: Ballard graduates from cold plunges to competing alongside Olympians at the Ice Swimming World Championships. Along the way, his body and outlook change in surprising and measurable ways.
Unfolding through vivid scenes and unforgettable characters, The Plunge is a story of endurance, science, and human connection, an exploration of why, in a climate-controlled, screen-saturated world, so many people are choosing to seek out discomfort—and what becomes possible when we do hard things together.
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Commentaires
"An enjoyable dive into a frigid world filled with warm hearts." —Kirkus Reviews
"Ballard’s fascination with cold water swimming is contagious. Even if climbing into an ice bath, swimming in the ocean in the winter, or alternating a steaming sauna with freezing water doesn’t really appeal, the stories of the participants, including the author himself, are joyful and life-affirming. Ballard cites studies about the positive impacts of a brief cold dip on mood, inflammation, and resiliency (although he recommends undergoing an in-depth medical checkup before jumping in). He meets Lynne Cox, a giant in the worlds of both distance and polar swimming; Olympians; and regular people who just want to feel both alert and calm. Ballard becomes an enthusiastic member of this tight club, and his performance clearly exudes his affection for the others and their serious purpose." —Kirkus Reviews
Aucun commentaire pour le moment
