Ice Swimming Really Cures A Cold: Old Man's Freezing Polar Bear Plunge - Original Georgia Traveler

Ice swimming really cures a cold. It's a wild story. It was January 2nd, a wet, icy - 33-degrees. Bill Davis and I walked across the soggy fields to the Etowah River near Rome, Georgia. Bill was sick, hoarse and could hardly talk. So, he was going to take a freezing, polar bear plunge. Normally he would be barefoot. Out of respect for us he kept his boots on. People in the area called him Wild Bill and I found out why. We slogged through the mud to the bank, Bill stripped down to nearly naked and took the plunge. It wasn’t a little dip, he swam out into the river and back. I guess that winter swimming is his frozen health secret. When Bill came out of the river, he was clear as a bell. No cough, sniffles and his hunting call was loud enough to deafen a racoon. Wild Bill Davis and I walked back to the road barefoot. It was the least I could do for a man whose healthy habits include taking a polar bear plunge at least once a month. This story aired on WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News in 1975.

This was America in the 1970s.

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Long before CNN and Fox News the Traveler series with Andy Johnston was an Emmy award winning program that showcased amazing people, unusual things, local legends, food finds, outdoor activities, folk art, and family fun. In 2022 the Walter J. Brown Media Archives at the University of Georgia founded The Original Georgia Traveler -- Andy Johnston Collection to preserve and maintain the stories.

This story is presented for educational and preservation purposes and is covered under Fair Use. At the time it was broadcast the television station had a blanket music license with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. The station maintains that license today. All music used is covered under that agreement.

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[olskool]

wow! born in 1900, i wonder if he is still alive? i wouldn't doubt it a

[georgiatraveler]

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[PhilipDrown]

Love it…he’s the original Wim Hof 😊 You guys scooped modern podcasts by 40 years!