Madina Kurmanbaeva Becomes An Iron Icewoman

Madina Kurmanbaeva became the most recent Iron Icewoman when she completed her first Ice Mile in Hatfield, UK on January 21st 2023.

The 52-year-old swimmer from Kazakhstan who lives in Aberdeen, Scotland completed her Ice Mile in 4.40°C water and -3.00°C wind chill in 33 minutes 14 seconds. Six days before her Ice Mile, she competed in the Ice Kilometer on January 15th at the 5th IISA World Ice Swimming Championship in Samoëns, France, finishing in 21 minutes 8.32 seconds in 3.70°C water and 2.00°C air temperatures.

She had previously completed the first triathlon - the Ironman Wales - in September 2014 in 14 hours 57 minutes and 36 seconds.

She explains, "I am nervous before the swim. I am checking the weather forecast every 5 minutes, wishing the air temperature becomes a bit warmer. During the swim, I was calm and focused. The amazing Swimyourswim team was looking after me. I recovered quickly.

I train in the North Sea, although the sea temperature there does not get lower than 5°C. Sometimes in search for the ice, I will get into the river or travel to Scottish lochs."

With her successful Ice Mile, Kurmanbaeva joins an esteemed group of extreme athletes from around the world:

Iron Icewomen
1. Kellie Joyce Latimer‪ (USA) on 14 December 2014
‪2. Jaimie Monahan‪ (USA) on 2 April 2016
3. Claire Bustin-Mulkern‪ (UK) on 25 January 2017
‪4. Conny Prasser‪ (Germany) on 27 January 2017
5. Corinna Nolan (Ireland) on 3 February 2018
6. Elina Makinen (Finland) on 5 August 2018
7. Erin Churchill (USA) on 14 December 2019
8. Claudia Müller (Austria) on 19 January 2020
9. Hanna Bakuniak (Poland) on 22 August 2020
10. Anja Binder (Germany) on 9 August 2021
11. Qing Li (USA) on 5 December 2021 (achieved within 29 days)
12. Kaetlyn Taylor (USA) on 20 March 2022
13. Cindy Hughes (USA) on 20 November 2022
14. Trisha Harvey (Scotland) on 17 December 2022
15. Angela Wood (England) on 17 December 2022
16. Madina Kurmanbaeva (Kazakhstan) 21 January 2023

Iron Icemen
‪1. Pádraig Mallon‪ (Ireland) on 20 January 2013
‪2. Paul Fowler‪ (UK) on 29 December 2013
‪3. Stuart Hinde‪ (UK) on 2 March 2014
4. Christof Wandratsch (Germany) on 27 December 2014
‪5. Paolo Chiarino‪ (Italy) on 6 January 2015
‪6. John Dyer‪ (UK) on 23 January 2016
‪7. Cerys Thomas‪ (Gibraltar) on 10 February 2016
8. Kieron Palframan (South Africa)
9. David Coleman‪ (New Zealand) on 14 January 2017
‪10. Leszek Naziemiec‪ (Poland) on 19 March 2017
11. Donald McDonald (UK) on 2 February 2018
12. Mark Hannigan (Ireland) on 3 February 2018
13. Peter Bacon (England) on 3 February 2018
14. Uli Munz (Germany) on 3 February 2018
15. James Leitch (Scotland) on 10 March 2018
16. Andrew Ainge (UK) on 10 March 2018
17. Graeme Flitcroft (UK) on 24 March 2018
18. Noel Grimes (Ireland) on 19 August 2018
19. Ger Kennedy (Ireland)
20. Stefan Jung (Germany) on 18 January 2019
21. Stefan Jung (Germany) on 18 January 2019
22. Theo van der Meer (Netherlands) on 18 January 2019
23. Philippe Fort (France) on 20 January 2019
24. Stephen Rouch (USA) on 23 January 2019
25. Mark Dempsey (Ireland) on 2 February 2019
26. Joe Zemaitis (USA) on 28 February 2019
27. Jerry George (USA) on 28 February 2019
28. Alexandre Fuzeau (France) on 4 August 2019 [first within one calendar year for a Guinness World Record]
29. Lars Mack (Germany) on 4 January 2020
30. Darran Cusick (UK) on 7 March 2020
31. Hassan Baraka (Morocco) on 21 January 2021
32. Alan Gleeson (Ireland) on 30 January 2021
33. Albert Stienezen (Netherlands) on on 14 January 2022
34. William Murphy (Ireland) on 23 January 2022
35. Marek Rother (Poland) on 4 September 2022

By Steven Munatones.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and Editor of the KAATSU Magazine. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (2022), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007 and 2010), and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984, awarded to the senior whose interests are not bounded by academic or institutional structures. A joyous, deeply-rooted affirmation of life, disdain for the purely conventional; a love of adventure, and desire to learn by experiencing; the ability to respond creatively to difficult situations). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (until 2011) and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, a 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff including 4 FINA World Championships, and 2008 NBC Olympic 10K Marathon Swim commentator.

Location: Huntington Beach, CA, USA

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