Newcastle nurse wins five medals at European Ice Swimming Championships

Meet Mel Hall, a nurse specialist with a heart of gold and a set of medals to match!

Mel - a beacon of hope for patients diagnosed with rare and complex blood disorders known as haemoglobinopathies in Newcastle - recently made waves at the very first European Championships for Ice Swimming in Romania by breaking records and bringing home a fantastic five medals.

Ice swimming is classed as an extreme sport as it involves water at temperatures below 5.0 degrees Centigrade.

Diving at the start of the race is not permitted, everyone has to wear a belt in case they need rescuing and strictly no wetsuits are allowed.

The average outdoor pool temperature in Oradea was 4.07 degrees Centigrade which was good news because if the temperature goes even slightly higher than 5.0 degrees, the race is considered nil and void.

Mel, who is 43, clinched gold for the 100m breaststroke in a British record time of 1:27.81 minutes – also a new world record for her age group (40-44 years).

She also won gold in the 50m breaststroke for her age group in world record time followed by bronze overall in the final. In addition, she gained a silver medal in her age group for the 100m freestyle.

Watch Mel clinch Gold for the 100m breaststroke in a British record time of 1:27.81 minutes – also a new World record for her age group (40-44 years).