Vegan Conquers Icy Waters for Historic World Record Haul

The Ice Swimming championships finished in Finland with competitors swimming in sub-zero  water.  Pools were carved out of a sea frozen under 90 cm of ice

Champion Francois-Xavier Filias explained that “every stroke was a victory over the freezing void.”

The victory was a complete “Grand Slam” to set the tone.  Francois-Xavier raced seven times and took seven wins at stage to qualify for the World Championships.  When he got there he became the most successful ever world champion, with 7 Golds, a Silver and a Bronze.

In the process he broke records in the 50 metre, 100 metre and 200 metre breaststroke.  He now holds the all-time points record and is the first ever French champion.

Vegan since 2020, Francois-Xavier says “I enjoy a very varied vegan diet to stay fueled”.

As well as rice bowls, he eats a lot of veggie wraps. “I love filling them with a mix of fresh vegetables and pan-seared soy protein” he says.

Before this, he’s placed in breaststroke and freestyle at the Open Water World Championships and competed in Ice Swimming at national and international events up to 500 metres.