Women brave freezing waters at Wardie Bay for International Women’s Day

THEY came from across the country to brace the icy waters and celebrate women everywhere.

Dozens of women of all ages took part in the icy swim. Picture: Contributed

More than 60 women gathered at Wardie Bay on International Women’s Day for an invigorating sunrise swim in sub-zero temperatures to champion body diversity.

Organised by activist Danni Gordon of The Chachi Power Project and photographer Anna Deacon of the Wild Swimming Photography Project, the swim drew participants from the central belt, Fife, East and West Lothian, including revered Arctic explorer Hazel Robertson.

Danni revealed the event was organised to promote body confidence after giving evidence at The Scottish Parliament on the barriers facing women and young girls getting involved in sport when it came to body image. She said: “I had terrible body confidence issues for a huge amount of my life and I only flipped my thinking in the past few years thanks to learning about the body positive movement, changing my thought patterns and stopping destructive behaviours.

“This wild dip in the sea for International Women’s Day was a challenging yet wonderful way to come together and let us all celebrate our amazing bodies.”

Wild Swimming has been a growing trend across the UK, with organised events taking place throughout the UK during the year.

Hazel added: “International Women’s Day is a perfect time to reflect on how lucky we are to be exactly who we are. To have these bodies that allow us to express our individuality and uniqueness as we take on the world.”