A RECORD-breaking ice swimmer is set for her coldest dip yet... in a pool carved out of ice with a chainsaw.

Jade Perry, from Hockley, who holds the women’s British record for the fastest 1km ice swim, will be competing in the World International Ice Swimming Championships, in Murmansk, Russia.

The bi-annual event which starts today and runs until Sunday will challenge contestants to compete in a 25m pool which has been carved out of ice in Lake Semenovskoe, Russia.

With temperatures colder than a household freezer, the competition pool for the ice swimmers will be exactly 0°C, with outside air temperatures likely to be between -14°C to -20°C.

Ice swimmers must also only wear regular swimming costumes.

The 36-year-old said: “I’m so proud to have been selected for the GB team, and will be working as hard as I can to make everyone proud, though I am nervous about how my body will react to swimming in such cold water.”

Temperatures are so extreme that, once out of the icy water, competitors will experience an “after-drop”, which sees the body react to the cold exposure by violently shaking.

Jade, who moved to Helensburgh, in Scotland to train in its open waters, will be competing in the women’s Ice Kilometre race, the 50m front crawl and in the 4x250m country relay.

Having trained for years, the swimmers competing have learned to become acclimatised to these conditions, by working up to these exposure times and temperatures. Each swim will be risk assessed and safety covered.

In February last year, Jade set the women’s British record in Hatfield, Doncaster, in 3.6°C water, for the fastest 1km ice swim, with a time of 14 minutes, 55 seconds and 10 hundredths of a second.

After being recognised for her drive and determination, Mackie’s of Scotland – a Scottish ice cream and confectionery manufacturer – has offered Jade a year-long sponsorship, ahead of her competition in Russia.

Jade added: “Ice Swimming is such a new sport and is not currently funded in the way that more established sports are, so having Mackie’s get behind me is amazing.

“And the chocolate and ice cream is helping me show my appreciation to my work colleagues and swimming club for their patience and support with my training, especially the lifeguards.”

Karin Hayhow, Marketing Director at Mackie’s, said: “Jade is certainly courageous. We’re impressed with her dedication to doing her best, testing her endurance and love of the cold.”

She added: “It’s a fitting partnership, too, with our saying that it’s never too cold for ice cream, and hers that it’s never too cold for swimming.”