Christmas morning saw 34 hardy swimmers take to the frigid and choppy waters of Glencoyne Bay, Ullswater, in memory of their friend Annie, who took her own life earlier this year.
The mass wild swim was the culmination of the Team Annie fund-raising event, undertaken by a a group of 21 hardy people who undertook to take five outdoor dips in December, mostly in Ullswater but also Bassenthwaite, Coniston Water and, in one case, open waters on Dartmoor.
The group is raising funds for the Cumbria-based suicide prevention charity Every Life Matters and they have so far netted around £4,000, with money still coming in and a few yet to do their fifth chilly swim.
One of the swimmers, Ali Ross, said Annie was an outdoor enthusiast who loved physical activities of all sorts from skiing, cycling, kayaking and fell walking to Pilates and yoga.
She always pushed herself to achieve new levels of physical excellence and encouraged others to do the same. She worked as a ski instructor in winter and taught cycling skills to children for the rest of the year.
Annie was also a keen wild swimmer and was often exploring new and remote places to dip.
It was therefore in keeping with her spirit that a group of her friends decided to embark on a fundraising challenge of five open water swims in December – when the water temperature is around 5C.
The air temperature on Christmas morning was 3C.
Some of the swimmers also took to the lake for a night time dip under the light of the full moon last weekend.
Some wore wetsuits and some just swimming costumes, while most sported their signature flowery swim hats and had tow-floats illuminated by head torches, making a magical image on the lake.
The group are hoping to raise a large amount for Every Life Matters, which supports people bereaved by suicide and aims to make communities safer through training, campaigning and raising awareness.
They have so far raised over £4,600.
