How I Did It..

Wim ‘The Iceman’ Hof, Extreme-cold Endurance Athlete And Record Breaker

I first learned I could withstand the cold when I was 17, in a frozen lake in Holland. That brought about real power within me, that self-control I had awakened by going into the cold. From there on I was able to swim in freezing water and enjoy it.

When I was a kid, sometimes my identical twin brother and I would fight almost to the death. There would be blood, tension and fury between us, and then five minutes later we’d be best of friends.

Still, I once pretended to be him and began a relationship with his girlfriend. I was 17 and he had to go away to be a sailor. At first she thought I was him and we dated for two years. Later my brother talked to me about it. He was angry, but he soon forgave me.

I’m 56 and I can do the splits like a ballet dancer. I can do 100 push-ups without breathing, but I only need one square metre for that, at home. You won’t find me in a gym.

I could make up any challenge. When you’ve done it once, you get a sense you can do just about anything with your body.