Would you travel to Poland to take a dip in icy waters?
Would you do it to raise funds for charity?
Steve Woods and his wife, Rev. Krista Moore, took the plunge in frigid Lake Simcoe for charity last year.
Woods told InnisfilToday that the couple raised “several thousand dollars” for the Innisfil Food Bank and the Benevolent Fund at the Churchill and Gilford United churches as part of the Preacher’s Plunge in 2024, but Woods wanted to raise the stakes.
He does not enjoy the cold. But, using his own funds, Woods will embark on the Winter Expedition in Karpacz, Poland with Wim Hof from March 9 to 15.
“I was trying to figure out what to do this year,” he said.
“I wanted to find something a little bit more … extreme that would maybe raise us a little bit more money … I came across this guy who, you know, does a lot of crazy stuff in the ... cold weather. It’s … kinda pushing myself a little bit,” he said.
Funds collected until April 6 for what is affectionately deemed the Poland Plunge will be donated to the Benevolent Fund — which supports community members as they cover temporary costs in their time of need; like if a family has enough money for groceries for the week, but not enough for gas to get to work — and the Youth Unlimited initiative, which supports activities for youngsters in Innisfil.
He explained that Youth Unlimited, formerly called Teens At Risk, purchased instruments for the Triton Music ensemble at Nantyr Shores Secondary School, which won gold at the MusicFest Nationals in 2024 and 2023.
Woods said that any amount is meaningful, but he would like to raise $5,000 for charity while bringing some awareness to Innisfil.
Though the fundraiser is organized by the aforementioned churches, at which Moore serves, Woods noted the funds raised are for the community at large. Tax receipts will be provided.
“It's been very difficult for some people. So, we wanted to help (as much as) we could,” Woods said.
Woods has never been on any of Hof’s expeditions, so he’s not sure what to expect.
“I'm looking forward to (experiencing) something that very few other people would ever think of doing, never mind actually doing it,” Woods said.
“I want to learn to embrace cold — as I mentioned, I love the warmth — so this will be a challenge I'm looking forward to.”
“Jet lag is always something I do not look forward to,” he added. “I leave on Saturday night, and the experience starts on Sunday — so (I’ll) miss most of the night’s sleep,” Woods said.
According to the Wim Hof Method website, Hof is a Dutch extreme athlete nicknamed "The Iceman," as he has broken a number of records related to cold exposure. They include “climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes.”
Hof’s website also claims this is “the very last Winter Expedition that Wim Hof will undertake in Poland.”
While there, Woods will complete breathing exercises every morning and spend the afternoons in nature completing a variety of activities that aim to acquaint participants with the cold.
Instructors will guide participants through yoga, meditation, sound healing, or animal flow, but they won’t know exactly what they are doing until they get there.
“You spend a week learning the techniques,” Woods said. “Jumping into cold rivers, swimming in cold rivers, doing ice baths. They teach you the breathing techniques as well to get blood flowing to different parts of your body to keep you warm.”
Provided circumstances are favourable, the week-long expedition “culminates in the famed climb of Mount Śnieżka” wearing little more than shorts and boots with spikes that will help participants maintain their footing on icy terrain.
Woods said he has never been mountain climbing before, but this final activity is “really a hike … up what they consider to be the tallest mountain in Poland.”
Moore has been working at the aforementioned churches for three years.
“We love living in Innisfil,” Woods said, noting he and Moore relocated from Scarborough about a year ago. “It's a huge change from living in Scarborough slash Toronto.”
“Everywhere you walk, people are friendly,” he added.
In order to prepare for the excursion, Woods said, “I have been trying to do the cold shower stuff that (Hof) talks about in his books. And it is a challenge, but it is amazing how it makes you feel after the fact … It’s hard, but it really does awaken your senses and gives you lots of energy. It's really kinda counter-intuitive, I thought. But, hey. I'm willing to learn something new.”
“I always like to do extremes,” he said.
Woods and Moore have climbed up waterfalls, jumped in plunge pools, gone whitewater rafting and tubing and tried zip-lining.
To support the Benevolent Fund and Youth Unlimited through the Poland Plunge, email [email protected]. Woods says the link to Canada Helps, accessed via a QR code (found in the fourth image in the photo gallery above), allows people to donate via PayPal, debit or credit card.