‘Brave the cold’ for Lough Ree RNLI

Take a cold shower to support Lough Ree RNLI. That’s the ask from a group of locals calling themselves the Coosan Swimmers.

The concept for the “Brave The Cold” fundraiser was set up by The Coosan Swimmers to give back to the Lough Ree RNLI.

The swim group is a diverse group of people who came together to swim or dip! There is a variety of abilities from all walks of life. At the moment restrictions have the group swims on pause and they are looking forward to the day they can swim together again.

Having the Lough Ree RNLI at Coosan Point is a privilege. The swim group appreciates that the crew are volunteers and that they are all members of the Athlone community.

They wanted to show their gratitude by raising some much-needed funds for the new boathouse. The RNLI is 100% charity based and does not receive any government funding.

There are 35 active members in the Lough Ree RNLI. As one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Ireland Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crews have launched from Coosan Point on 412 call outs and assisted 1,235 people.

Having water safety at the forefront of the swim groups minds and also keeping their shared love for the Wim Hoff method of cold-water exposure, they decided a cold shower/cold swim challenge would be very appropriate.

Those taking part have the option of taking a cold shower at home or a cold dip in the lake.

Research shows many benefits of cold showers including strengthening your immune system, improving circulation, improving skin and hair to name a few.

A person can take the challenge themselves or sponsor someone to take part. There is no time limit so turning the shower to cold for the last few seconds counts!

A challenge like this really hits home how cold fresh water is, and the importance of water safety. Being caught in cold water too long can have serious consequences. Hyperthermia can set in very quickly.

The challenge is up and running three weeks and already they have raised over €2000 of the €5000 target.

The group was delighted to have Mayor Aengus O’Rourke participate in the event.

“It’s a novel idea for an extremely worthy cause. Athlone is fortunate to have such a dedicated and active voluntary organisation in our community, I encourage everyone to take part and support this fantastic initiative”

Be adventurous and earn your name on an ice block on the Lough Ree RNLI virtual igloo. Challenge entry €10.