Lecture Series - Rethinking Boundaries: Ice Swimming Meets Para-Sports

Gerald DaringerMag. AMag.
Ice swimming record holder, founder of AQUA and ICE, president of the Tyrolean Disabled Sports Association, Innsbruck, Austria
In this lecture, Gerald Daringer offers a fascinating insight into the world of extreme sports and draws unexpected yet profound parallels to para sports. He explains how people push past their mental and physical limits in freezing water (e.g., an ice mile at 0.4°C over 28 minutes)—and how this experience offers insights for people who are finding their way after unpredictable life changes. The talk explores aspects such as pain management, cardiovascular adaptation, neuropsychological mechanisms, and effective motivational strategies, demonstrating how people overcome apparent limits through willpower, discipline, and mental strength. The lecture offers new perspectives on motivation, resilience, and the importance of challenge for healing, identity, and the meaning of life—both in elite sports and in medical rehabilitation.
In person: Free admission
Live stream: https://video.ibm.com/channel/nLQ2HMjy945
All dates on our website: www.i-med.ac.at/diversitaet