Marblehead’s Wolfpack rang in the new year with a splash, diving into the frigid waters near the steps at Fort Sewall.
On Jan. 1, the air temperature hovered around 26 degrees, while the water measured about 38 degrees. The cold conditions did little to deter participants, many of whom donned festive outfits before jumping in.
“Most of us dip several times a week for health benefits and community — but plunging on New Year’s Day definitely feels different,” Wolfpack member Laurie Swope said. “It’s a baptism of sorts — a new beginning — and a chance to wash off the crazy year we all had. And if we can swim in 38-degree water, it kind of feels like we can do anything with the year ahead.”
Also on New Year’s Day, swimmers gathered at Devereux Beach for a polar plunge benefiting Changing Futures, a nonprofit that raises money and awareness about gastrointestinal issues faced by people with cystic fibrosis.
“There was something truly special about starting the new year surrounded by so many people willing to show up, support one another and quite literally leave the past behind in the ocean before stepping out renewed,” the group wrote on Facebook. “The conditions were not easy this year — strong winds, snow on the ground and frigid water — but the spirit and determination of this community made the experience just as rewarding as it was challenging.”
Looking ahead, about 50 Wolfpack members are expected to travel to Winter Island in Salem on Saturday, Jan. 31, for another plunge benefiting the nonprofit Mental Makeover. More information and registration details are available at mentalmakeovertoday.org.Cold water, fresh start: Local dive into the new year
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
