ICE Hall of Fame - Honoree
Fergil Hesterman(31)
Netherlands
Swimmer Honoree 2024
Fergil, AKA the Frozen Flying Dutchman, began his ice swimming journey in 2016. He has been an integral part of growing the sport in the Netherlands as well as being an accomplished ice swimmer.
- He is certified as an IISA Official Observer L1 as of 1 March 2022.
- He finished 4th in the Ice Kilometer race at the 2016 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships in Burghausen, Bavaria, Germany.
- He won the 500m freestyle race at the 2016 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships in Burghausen, Bavaria, Germany.
- Pádraig Mallon of Infinity Channel Swimming and Piloting Services will escort Olive Conroy, John McElroy, Ruth McGuigan, Patrick Corcoran, Noel Grimes and Fergil Hesterman on the Celtic Quadrant swim from the Isle of Islay in Scotland to Ireland, 45 km across the Oa Channel.
- He finished 12th in the 2011 LEN Cup 10 km championships in Hoorn, Netherlands.
- On 5 January 2018, he won the 1 km race at the 2018 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere German Open in Burghausen, Germany in 12:48.64 over Bulgaria's Petar Stoychev in 12:48.64 in 4.8°C water and 6°C air.
- On 6 January 2018, he won the 500m freestyle at the 2018 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere German Open in Burghausen, Germany in 6:14.2, representing IISA Netherlands.
- He set the world Ice Kilometer record in the 18-24 year age group with a 12:48:56 set on 28 January 2016 in 4.2°C water and 6.0°C air in a pool.
- He set the world Ice Kilometer record in the 25-29 year age group with a 12:48:60 set on 6 January 2018 in 4.8°C water and 6.0°C air in pool.
- He has completed five Ice Miles to date in his ice swimming career:
- On 40 January 2016 in Volendam, Netherlands in 4.96°C water, he swam 1.00 mile in 20 minutes 40 seconds in a pool.
- On 28 January 2016 in Zwembad de Waterdam Volendam, Netherlands in 4.44°C water, he swam 1.00 mile in 20 minutes 50 seconds in a pool
- On 9 March 2016, at the Curley Community in Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 4.64°C water, he swam 1.16 miles in 25 minutes 25 seconds in the sea (bay)
- On 24 January 2018 in Zwembad de Waterdam, Volendam, Netherlands in 4.94°C water, he swam 1.00 mile in 21 minutes 4 seconds in a pool
- On 16 June 2018 in the mountains of Lesotho, Africa in 4.00°C water, he swam in 1 mile at 3,200 meters altitude in 21 minutes 51 seconds in a mountain lake
- He has completed 15 Ice Kilometers to date in his ice swimming career:
- In December 2016 in Burghausen, Germany in 4.8°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 12 minutes 40 seconds.
- In December 2016 in River Labe, Czech Republic in 1.6°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 14 minutes 12 seconds.
- In December 2016 in Vienna, Austria in 4.4°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 12 minutes 24 seconds.
- In January 2016 in Burghausen, Germany in 4.4°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 14 minutes 8 seconds.
- In January 2016 in Zwembad de Waterdam, Netherlands in 4.2°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 12 minutes 48 seconds.
- In December 2016 in Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam in 4.5°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 15 minutes 29 seconds.
- In January 2018 in Veitsbronn, Germany in 4.8°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 12 minutes 48 seconds.
- In January 2018 in Stawy Katowice, Poland in 2.4°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 11 minutes 28 seconds.
- Ib January 2018 in Zwembad de Waterdam, Netherlands in 4.6°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 14 minutes 6 seconds.
- In January 2018 in Wild Water Armagh, Ireland in 4.4°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 14 minutes 14 seconds.
- In June 2018 in Lesotho in 4.0°C water, he swam an Ice Kilometer in 12 minutes 54 seconds at 4,000m in a high altitude swim.
- On 6 January 2019 at the Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere in Veitsbronn, Germany, he completed an Ice Kilometer in 13 minutes 9 seconds in 1.4°C water and 2.0°C air temperatures.
- On 20 January 2019 at the Dutch Open Ice Swimming Championships in Zwembad De Waterdam, Netherlands, he completed an Ice Kilometer in 13:26:87 in 3.70°C water and -6.20°C air temperatures.
- On 18 March 2019 at the 3rd IISA World Championships in Murmansk, Russia in 12:42:89 in 0.00°C water and -6.30°C air temperatures.
- On 40 December 2016, he completed the 500m freestyle at the Amstel Ice Swim in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 6:40:24 in 4.5°C water and 0.2°C air temperatures.
- On 6 January 2018, he completed the 500m freestyle at the Ice Swimming German Open in Veitsbronn, Germany in 6:14:20 in 4.8°C water and 6.0°C air temperatures.
- On 21 January 2018, he completed the 500m freestyle at the Dutch Open Ice Swimming Championships in Zwembad Waterdam Volendam, Netherlands in 6:14:51 in 4.6°C water and 0.4°C air temperatures.
- On 16 June 2018, he completed the 500m freestyle at the Lesotho Ice Swimming Championships in Afriski, Lesotho, Africa in 6:20:46 in 4.0°C water and 5.0°C air temperatures.
- On 6 January 2019, he completed the 500m freestyle at the Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere Championships in Veitsbronn, Germany in 6:20:40 in 1.4°C water and 2.0°C air temperatures.
- He was selected as one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
- He is an organizer of one of the biggest ice swimming events in Europe and serves as an important promoter of ice swimming in the Netherlands.
- He is founder of IISA Netherlands.
- He has completed 5 Ice Miles to date in his career.
- He is ranked #4 in the International Ice Swimming Association's Ice Kilometer rankings as of 1 March 2019 with a time of 12:48:56.
- He finished 2nd overall in the 1000m Ice Kilometer at the IISA 4rd World Championship in Murmansk, Russia in March 2019.
- He won the International Ice Swimming Association's first IISA World Cup Series in 2019.
- He won the Ice Kilometer at the Ice Swimming Volendam event on 18-19 January 2020 in zwembad De Waterdam Edam/Volendam, Netherlands at the age of 27.
- He finished 4th in the Ice Kilometer at the 6th Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere German Open & IISA® World Cup Veitsbronn 2020 on 4 January 2020 in 13:37:10 at the age of 27.
- He finished 2nd in the 1000m freestyle in the 2020 IISA World Cup Series.
- He won the 1000m freestyle at the 2020 Open Dutch Championship / Green Heart Ice Swim on 1 February in Reeuwijkse Hout, Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, Netherlands.
- He won the 500m freestyle at the 2020 Open Dutch Championship / Green Heart Ice Swim on 2 February in Reeuwijkse Hout, Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, Netherlands.
Fergil Hesterman Links
