Team GB ice swimmer Fenwick Ridley's journey to the Arctic

A year on from his move to Higham Lakes in Ponteland, Northumberland, the 6ft 4in Ice Viking is in the final stages of training before he jets off to the high Arctic, aiming to beat his own ice swimming record.

In May, he's returning to Svalbard, Norway, also known as 78 degrees north, to try to better his 19‑minute 1km in water at around minus 1.4C - which already sets him "among the top five British male times" in the region - and to attempt what could be one of the longest butterfly swims ever completed in those conditions.

"I've been given the chance to go back again, and I want to beat my time, which I will, because I'm going to be stronger and faster; I'm already feeling healthier," said Fenwick.

"This time around, I've got the beautiful support of Magenta Films. We're working on a short film showing my build‑up to the Arctic and the swim itself."

Training and attempting the Scandinavian swim is just one piece of an ever-expanding web of escapades that Fenwick is happily wrapped up in.

"I'm a man of many hats," he laughs.

The Ice Viking is returning to the Arctic in May (Image: Buffalo)

"Right now, I'm very excited, because I've started training full power again. My mental state has got a lot better; my drive and everything. I've got lots of good positive energy going on."

For the last 12 months, he has been literally and metaphorically building up Higham Lakes, the "beautiful" new home of his already successful H2o Trails and Northumbrian Sauna businesses.

While the long hours have been stressful and his time in the water has slipped, he says the whole community is "delighted" with the new facilities and already calls it "home".

"We arrived here with all the tools and all the knowledge and experience, but we had to rebuild the business here, so we've relied on the local community to help us build this place," he said.

"We've since had lots of new swimmers and lots of new smiles coming out of the water, saying it's the best place they've swum, the cleanest place they've swum, and they can't wait to return.

"I'm really thankful I've got amazing people supporting me, not only the community through H2o Trails but also the people who own this land who've given me the chance and the opportunity to flourish with the business."

One of Fenwick's main priorities is water safety. A facet of this is maintaining the quality and cleanliness of the "crystal clear" water at Higham Lakes.

This is done through a multitude of ways. Alongside the "natural" filters in the water, the lake is also regularly topped up from an on-site borehole, keeping everything flowing.

It was seeing the Tyne for himself during his 2019 swimming expedition from Newcastle to Kielder, which reaffirmed the importance of private outdoor swimming alternatives.

H20 Trails swimmers at Higham Lakes (Image: Fenwick Ridley)

"We're trying to keep this water as clean as it is," he added. "We're at a period of time now where people want to do cleaner activities and be safer.

"If you go onto a live sewage map now and bring it up, all the main veins of Northumberland are brown in colour because there are markers of spills from five minutes to two‑and‑a‑half hours.

"We should be shouting from the rooftops, if anyone wants to swim safely and swim clean, this is what you need to be doing."

A trained lifeguard for over two decades, Fenwick describes himself as the "worst person" to go to the beach with, as he is always scanning to make sure people are safe.

Luckily, by his side in Ponteland is his second in command, and the newest member of the team - Toryn, a high‑energy lifeguard Labrador that now patrols the lake alongside him.

"There are venues out there that will get you to sign a little form and take your money, and they don't look after you - that's just ridiculous," he said.

Toryn patrolling the waters edge at Higham Lakes (Image: Fenwick Ridley)

Northumbrian Sauna is also still in full swing. The sauna trailer sits yards away from the waterside at Higham Lakes, in a prime position for Fenwick's guided contrast therapy sessions.

After our interview, Fenwick led me through a hot-and-cold immersion. We alternated 15 minutes in the sauna with a quick 30-second plunge in the lake.

I use saunas regularly but have never done structured contrast therapy. The combination of deep heat followed by the cold exposure left me relaxed, clear‑headed and ready to sleep. It certainly works!

"Contrast therapy has to be timed just right," said Fenwick. "If you rush back into the sauna straight from the cold, you're not going to survive another ten‑minute round in there."

"Here at Northumbrian Sauna, we're the healthiest, most driven you can get for a sauna experience. There are no plastics, no synthetic compounds, no oils on the stones.

"You're not just booking a sauna session, you're booking a sauna experience with a qualified sauna master managing the session."

Outside of work and Arctic record attempts, Fenwick is also Team GB's Ice Swimming captain. As part of this role, he competes, helps train and manage the team and acts as a talent spotter.

Team GB is the biggest ice-swimming team in the world, covering all age groups. In February 2026, at the last ice-swimming European championships in Molveno, Italy, Team GB came back with the most age‑group medals.

Fenwick competing for Team GB (Image: International Ice Swimming Association)

Fenwick said, "I feel quite proud because I've brought in quite a few good ice swimmers and a handful of medal winners as well.

"Our next goal is the World Championships in January 2027 in Romania. I'll be looking to take a bigger team than we did for the Europeans. We need more top‑end open‑water masters to venture into the cold."

The Ice Viking - "man of many hats" - is showing no sign of slowing down, and continues to live life in the fast (cold) lane, where he feels most comfortable.