Monday, December 2, 2024
For most, a dip in the chilly Atlantic Ocean anytime after September might be reserved for a dare or Long Beach’s Polar Bear Plunge. For resident Mindi Dovberg, it has become a life-altering daily ritual, and on Sunday she will celebrate 600 consecutive days of cold-water immersion, in the Atlantic and elsewhere.
Dovberg, 51, a single Reiki master teacher and mindset speaker, took her first dip in the spring of 2021, following the death of her father, when, she said, she sought something to “shock the grief out of my system.” The idea of immersing herself in freezing water resonated as a physical and emotional reset.
“I was visiting my family at the time in northern Virginia, which is where I’m originally from, and I just started going into the lake, the cold lake, every single day I was there,” Dovberg said, referring to Lake Montclair. “And that’s when the journey began.”
Cold-water immersion, which is just what it sounds like, plunging into water colder than 60 degrees, has been associated with an array of benefits, according to Dovberg, including reduced inflammation, improved circulation, faster recovery from injuries and heightened mental clarity. For Dovberg, these effects were immediate, and the occasional practice quickly evolved into a daily discipline, fueled by her resolve to confront discomfort and push beyond limiting beliefs.
Dovberg’s experience is all the more remarkable given the health challenges she has faced over the past two decades. A devastating car accident on Sept. 11, 2001 — the day of the attacks on the World Trade Center — left her with severe injuries, including complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic condition often described as one of the most painful disorders known. Over the years, she underwent a number of surgeries, used a walker or a wheelchair, and sought alternative healing methods, including Reiki, a practice focused on creating a balanced energy flow within the body to reduce stress and support the healing process
But it was the simple act of walking into the ocean in Long Beach that gave her a sense of empowerment and healing like never before.
“I walked on the beach with the cane the very first time,” Dovberg recounted. “I started doing it by sitting on the ocean’s edge and just allowing the water to rush over me, because it was numbing my legs. So here I am, in pain, and taking the baby steps to get to the water’s edge, and then I could just sit there for as long as I could do it and allow that water to come over me. My legs were numb, and I was like, oh my God, this is like nature’s medicine, because now my legs are numb and I’m not feeling the pain.”
She found inspiration in, of all things, a refrigerator magnet from the Long Beach Historical Society, which read, “I’ve got Long Beach sand in my shoes.”
“I couldn’t appreciate the beach the way everybody else was, and I was always comparing myself to those people,” Dovberg said. “And now I can say that I have Long Beach sand everywhere. I mean, I’m sitting in my car and it’s just all over the place. I have it between my toes and everywhere else, and I’m very grateful for that magnet, because little did anybody know that when they made that magnet, it would inspire me.”
In November 2022, Dovberg joined the New York Dippers club in Rockaway Beach. This sense of community, combined with her growing belief in the transformative power of cold-water immersion, solidified her commitment. She began documenting her swims, to track her progress and to encourage others to explore the benefits of the practice.
Dovberg created her own group, the Sunday Splashers, last November, believing Long Beach needed one of its own. She leads swims every Sunday, at 10 a.m., at Laurelton Boulevard Beach. The group kicks off its season in November, and the schedule of swims runs through the end of April, the unofficial end of the cold-water season.
The group welcomes newcomers and experienced cold-water swimmers alike. Dovberg encourages a mindful approach, guiding others to wade in slowly and embrace the full sensation of the cold rather than rushing in and out.
The swims have inspired others in unexpected ways. Dovberg recalls a woman who had been struggling with mental health challenges, who, after a single plunge, said she felt alive for the first time in years. Though many people try cold-water immersion only once, Dovberg sees each one’s experience as a success, believing that even brief exposure has positive effects.
Through 600 consecutive days of immersion — continuing the practice in the warmer months by going into the ocean early in the morning when the water is still cold, and taking ice baths — Dovberg has faced her share of challenges, including inclement weather, recurring personal doubts and the nearly daily temptation to stay in a warm bed. But each time she steps out of the ocean, she feels a renewed sense of accomplishment, gratitude and vitality.
As she prepares to celebrate her 600th swim this weekend, she has no plans to interrupt the streak. She is especially grateful for the Long Beach lifeguards for giving her guidance throughout this journey. Looking ahead, she envisions continuing to share her story through social media, public speaking and writing. She is currently working on a book, inspired by her father’s request before he died — that she create a compendium of the social media posts she shared that helped her heal.
On Sunday at 10 a.m., Dovberg and other Sunday Splashers will mark her milestone at Laurelton Boulevard Beach. As always, she hopes she will inspire others to discover their own strength by embracing the cold.
You can follow Dovberg’s journey and the Sunday Splashers on Instagram at @mindidovberg and @sundaysplashers_lbny, Mindi Dovberg on Facebook or by searching #ADoseOfMindi.
