WWF is bringing back its chilliest but most thrilling challenge, encouraging the brave amongst us to endure the elements and raise £150 for the charity’s conservation work.
The breath-taking cold water challenge Brave the Chill will run all through December 2024, offering you the chance to push yourself physically and mentally while supporting WWF in its mission to bring our world back to life.
Joining the challenge is adventurer and filmmaker James Levelle, who tells us what this initiative means to him and why he considers cold water swimming to be ‘mental health magic.’
Safeguarding species
Biodiversity has taken a plunge, with WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report revealing global wildlife populations have fallen by an average of 73% in 50 years.
In the planet’s coldest corners, rising temperatures are having devastating consequences for species. The Arctic’s average temperature has risen at a rate of almost four times the global average, warming faster than any other region on Earth.
The Arctic, its nearest neighbour being the UK, is home to around four million people and over 21,000 species of land and marine-based animals and plants, playing an integral part in regulating our world’s climate. Polar bears, narwhal, arctic foxes and walrus call this freezing seascape their home, but the environment is changing. This critical habitat is in decline. Summer Arctic sea ice extent is shrinking by 12.2% per decade due to warmer temperatures, and in 2023, at the other end of the globe, the total area of ice cover in Antarctica was the lowest on record by a huge margin.
Funds raised through Brave the Chill will go towards WWF’s work to reduce climate impacts on critical habitats and restore nature around the world.
A mental challenge
Adding to the purposeful and freezing fun of the challenge, immersing yourself in cold water can be a euphoric experience and a powerful aid for positive mental health.
When our bodies are exposed to extreme cold, we have a ‘fight or flight’ response that fires into action. Once this response begins, the stress hormone is released, making us more alert, boosting our concentration and energy, and regulating stress levels. As well as reducing feelings of anxiety, cold water immersion promotes endorphin release, improved cognitive function and mental clarity.
With one in six people across the UK reporting a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, in any given week in England, strategies to support our mental health are essential.
Research has found that being in nature for just 20 minutes a day on average is enough to improve our wellbeing [1], and a recent survey from WWF revealed spending time in nature is the most common mood-boosting activity for the UK public, whilst 9 in 10 Brits said time in nature has a positive effect on their mental health [2].
Brave the Chill presents a unique opportunity to reconnect with the wild and wet natural world, encouraging mental fortitude whilst drowning out the stress and pressures of everyday life.
Filmmaker, adventurer, and chaser of the world’s wildest places, James Levelle, said: “Immersing yourself in freezing water is mind-blowingly beneficial. The shock of the cold demands every bit of your attention… focus on your breath… be cool… your worries evaporate in an instant… they’re rarely ‘real’ anyway… but the cold definitely is real, and it wakes you up quick smart. Couple this refreshing reality check with being outside in nature, connecting with your environment both physically and mentally, and you’re in for a truly transformational experience.”
Having supported Brave the Chill since its inception in 2021, James continued: “It’s a physical workout for sure, but it’s also like bench pressing for your brain. Your body will be screaming at you and that’s normal, the knack is clearing your mind of all thoughts, especially the thoughts screaming at you to get out… With practice your mental strength grows and, in an instant, you enter a world of calm. By getting involved you’re not only supporting WWF to restore natural places – you’re restoring yourself. It’s mental health magic.”
Louise Oakley, Director of Events and Community Fundraising at WWF UK, said:
“As the cold sets in and the days get shorter, it can become more difficult to get outdoors – but setting yourself a challenge, like braving the chill of cold water plunges, can help motivate you to get outside and get your daily dose of nature.
“Cold water immersion can bring clarity and calm, helping to dissolve the stress of what is often a busy time of year. These powerful mental health benefits are amplified when you’re engaging with the natural world, which takes on a whole new light in winter.
“We’re so grateful to everyone who takes part in the Brave the Chill challenge this December, helping us bring our world back to life while restoring their own wellbeing.”
Once registered, participants will receive links to a range of digital resources, including a fundraising game poster, selfie frame and safety tips. With the flexibility to choose the date or duration of their challenge across December, fundraisers will also be in the running to receive a WWF t-shirt (when £30 is raised), eco-medal (when £150 is raised) and neck buff or coffee cup (when £250 is raised) for the ensuing months of blistery British cold.
