For someone who has Raynaud’s (a disorder that causes decreased blood flow to some body areas), TV presenter Louise Minchin doesn’t shy away from icy pursuits. She has swum in freezing waters, had hypothermia up mountains and endured many challenges in really cold conditions.
In her latest book, Fearless, she joins a diverse range of trailblazing women to take part in extreme challenges, including free-diving under ice, wild caving and mountain-climbing in dangerously wet conditions, and braved the freezing waters swimming from Alcatraz to San Francisco mainland.
“I should have gone to the desert,” the broadcaster and writer says, laughing. “I’ve had it (Raynaud’s) my whole life and it’s just something I’ve learned to live with. When I was in (the sea off) Alcatraz I swam with completely numb hands. I can manage it but it’s not always a joyful experience for me being in the cold.”
