Person of the Week, written by Florence Y.

Person of the Week, Wim Hof: The Iceman written by Florence Y.

Running in the snow may not seem like a super ability, unless you are like Wim Hof and can do it for 5 hours and 25 minutes straight. And did we mention, he was only wearing a pair of shorts and was not even wearing shoes, in the Arctic Circle where it is -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit)! Now that's amazing!

Wim Hof was born on April 20th, 1959, in the Netherlands. he is known as the Iceman, because of his amazing ability to remain unaffected in extremely cold climates. Wim is able to withstand these cold temperatures by "turning up his own Thermostat," using his mind. He practices a form of yoga usually only mastered by Tibetan Yogis Monks. This form of yoga is called tummo, which allows one to control the body's temperature. During his deep meditation, Wim's brain sends messages to other parts of his body, telling them to stay warm.

Wim has set three separate Guinness World Records, and has broken his own records several times. His most memorable attempt was in New York on November 17th, 2011, when he broke the record for the longest time spent in direct, full-body contact ice. He achieved this by sitting up to his neck in a tank of ice for 1 hour and 52 minutes and 42 seconds. 

Some of his other feats include:

• Running a full marathon (26 miles) in temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius, in only his shorts
• Swimming 66 m under ice wearing only shorts and goggles
• Climbing high icy mountains in a pair of shorts

If you'd like to learn more about Hof and what he does, take a look at the video below and prepare to be amazed! 

Hope you enjoyed learning about our person of the week!

-Florence Y., Teen Advisory Board Member