“I’m feeling really great,” Fellman said in a phone interview with an audibly stuffy nose. “I’m sitting here nice and toasty in bed. I kind of have a perma-smile on my face.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
![\"Cheryl](\"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/27408891_web1_IMG_1544.jpg\")
<\/a>Cheryl Fellman begins her Ice Mile attempt on Saturday. The effort was witnessed by dozens and supported by a small, dedicated crew. (Ben Hohenstatt \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Fellman’s swim was witnessed by about two dozen people, including friends and family and a small, dedicated crew who ensured Fellman’s Ice Mile attempt was as safe as possible. Supportive responsibilities included managing the small crowd gathered and passing out pins of support, documenting the attempt, trailing the swimmer in a kayak while in radio contact with a doctor on shore, helping Fellman out of the water, swaddling the swimmer in warm garments, preheating her car and thoroughly documenting the attempt.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
[Juneau woman to attempt rare ice swimming feat<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Jessica Paris, who wore a name tag bearing the word “Bouncer” as well as a smiley face, said the kayak, which was paddled by Adelaide Johnson, served two purposes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “It is about safety, but it’s also about keeping the straightest line possible,” Paris said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t When Fellman made her way from one buoy to the other —a feat she accomplished three times to complete the mile —updates affirming Fellman was OK could be heard coming from the kayak.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Fellman effusively thanked the people who helped make the attempt possible and said both she and her crew needed to know the Ice Mile rules inside and out to maximize chances of success.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Jason Fellman, Cheryl’s husband, who set out buoys ahead of the swim and helped his wife out of the water, said the water temperature ranged from 38 to 39 degrees. The observed air temperature at 9:53 a.m. —seven minutes before Cheryl Fellman’s swim —at Juneau International Airport was 22 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Jason Fellman said despite the cold temperature Saturday morning’s clear skies were ideal for the effort.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “This is perfect,” he said as his wife swam methodically through the water. “The wind and rain makes it way worse.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cheryl said the air temperature didn’t bother her at all.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Thirty-five and raining is a lot worse than 20 and dry,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cheryl Fellman swims parallel to the shore during an Ice Mile swim at Auke Recreation Area. (Ben Hohenstatt \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Years in the making<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cheryl Fellman said the idea of attempting an Ice Mile first cropped up in 2018, when she participated in the Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival, an annual event held in frigid Vermont waters.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t She said the event was attended by people who had swam across the English Channel and completed Ice Miles. Cheryl Fellman said she thought she might attempt an Ice Mile someday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I didn’t expect this year was the someday, but the opportunity presented itself, and I just kind of went with it,” Cheryl Fellman said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t She said in January of this year while training for cold water swimming, she found her body having a relatively easy time adapting to the temperatures, and decided to press on in pursuit of an Ice Mile.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t While there some hurdles to overcome along the way — at some point Cheryl Fellman started suffering nasal problems after long, cold swims; and there was some internal debate about whether to swim at Auke Rec or in Auke Lake —she said on the day of the swim there was no doubt she would reach her goal.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t However, earlier in the week there were pangs of uncertainty.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Your heart knows you can do it, and your body knows you can do it, but the head is being a little bit difficult,” Cheryl Fellman said. “I had to take out my training log and say, ‘You’ve been training for this. You can do it.’”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The affirmation worked.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Even yesterday, I was incredibly calm,” Cheryl Fellman said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t![\"Cheryl](\"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/27408891_web1_IMG_1598.jpg\")
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![\"Cheryl](\"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/27408891_web1_PXL_20211204_202601526--1-.jpg\")
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