Bárbara Hernández
Keeping Her Cool
Bárbara Hernández is known as Chile’s Ice Mermaid. As the name suggests, her specialty is swimming in freezing waters below 5°C without neoprene or insulating grease. She holds two Guinness World Records, one for the longest swim in Antarctica and the other for a swim off Cape Horn.
She is also the first South American to complete the Ocean’s Seven challenge, which involves crossing the seven most difficult channels over five continents. When she’s not plunging into icy water, Bárbara promotes the care of the Austral ocean and Antarctica through her work with the Southern Ocean Coalition and Antarctica 2030.
Bárbara’s deep love and respect for nature began when she first started swimming, around six years old. She believes that nothing is impossible when there is enough determination and effort. She also believes teamwork is everything, whether preparing for a physical challenge or taking on an environmental one. “The clan of endurance transcends generations, regions, languages and countries. It continues to unite us as people who, with different passions, continue to dare to fight for what they love, for who they love.” Watch the documentary on Bárbara’s Antarctica Guinness World Record here, find out more on her website, and follow her on Instagram.

