St Ninian’s High School teacher Carole Laporte clinched a gold medal at the British Ice Swimming Championship last weekend.

Having previously won the Special Achievement accolade at the 2020 Isle of Man Sports Awards for her record-breaking swim around the island, she started 2024 with an outstanding medal haul at the championships organised by the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA).

The event took place in a 10-lane open water lido at Sandford in Cheltenham with a total entry of 244 competitors. Under IISA rules, swimmers are allowed only a regular costume and a single swim cap, neither of which offer much protection against the cold water.

The weekend commenced with the blue riband event which is the 1km (20 lengths of the 50-metre pool). Carole had previously achieved a non-competitive but ratified Ice Mile (sub five degrees C) in 2017 at Cringle Reservoir.

For the 2024 championships she did her acclimatisation by spending up to one hour in the sea at least once a week, which even in the summer in the Isle of Man is a tough call, but in the winter months it is regarded as hardcore.

She was in the fourth of five mixed heats which are determined on reducing seed times. As to be expected in a championship event, the competition was fierce and Laporte had to settle for second place in her age group, 41 seconds behind Sián Clement in first.

The latter is a talented rival who currently holds the world record for the Three Oceans Challenge (English, Bristol and North Channels).

The afternoon saw the 50m backstroke event which is Carole’s preferred stroke. Her training for this sprint event was pool based at the NSC and at Jack Coop’s Manx Masters sessions in Peel.

She was bound to be challenged by Sián again as she too is a backstroke specialist and holds a Welsh record. In the event, Clement pipped Laporte by only 0.44 seconds so alas it was silver again.

The day was rounded off by dinner with the 51-strong Team GB, giving Carole a chance to get to know her team-mates for the forthcoming European Championships in Oradea, Romania.

Sunday morning began with the 500m freestyle event, only 10 lengths of the cold pool! Carole had the bit between her teeth for this one, determined to beat off her close rival.

Unfortunately, it was not to be and she had to settle for second again, but this time only 5.32 seconds adrift. Clearly, the gap was reducing in the distance swims as Laporte was coming on full song.

In the afternoon the 50m butterfly line-up did not include Clement but Laporte was in a lane next to Scottish Olympic swimmer Dan Wallace.

She was 100 percent fired up for the event and she raced down the pool to secure that longed-for and hard-earned gold medal. Such was her pace that with a time of 41.81 seconds she beat the female world record in her age group by 1.33 seconds.

In a cruel twist of fate, she was denied this record because the water temperature was 6.6 degrees and not below five degrees required for ratification. This is an ongoing problem for ice swimming events in England where, however capable they are, the race organisers simply cannot control the water temperature.

Overall though, a weekend of top-flight competition in open cold water with a medal haul to match: 1km freestyle – silver, 50m backstroke – silver, 500m freestyle – silver and 50m butterfly – gold.

Next up for Laporte is the IISA European Championship which takes place in Oradea, Romania between February 1-4. Bonne chance Carole.