French 'Ice man' sets new world record in freezing glass cabin

The man remained buried up to his neck in ice for 2 hours, 35 minutes and 43 seconds

Last updated: December 22, 2020 | 19:00

compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor and with inputs from AFP

2 MIN READ

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Frenchman Romain Vandendorpe (above) on Saturday set a world record for sitting immersed in ice cubes for the longest time, enduring the extreme challenge to raise money for childhood cancers.

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The 34-year-old health worker remained buried up to his neck in ice in a plexiglass cabin for two hours, 35 minutes and 43 seconds, breaking the previous record by 40 minutes in the northern French town of Wattrelos.

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He said he trained to "overcome human limits" by neuro-cognitive techniques based on "imagination and concentration" to put himself in "a state of daydreaming."

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The feat was performed before some 50 people and Vandendorpe's mantra for success was simple.

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"If we train, if we give our all, we can advance (and) obtain results that can improve things," he said.

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His training techniques including sitting in an ice-cold jacuzzi, training in a 500-litre freezer and then remaining buried in snow in the French ski resort of Chamonix.

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He aims to donate the money raised through his feat to the Wonder Augustine association founded in Wattrelos following the death of a four-year-old girl called Augustine two years ago from brian cancer.

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"Everyone can donate one euro for every minute Romain remained immersed in ice," said Steve de Matos, the head of the association.

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Vandendorpe had met Augustine a few days before her passing. His message to children battling cancer was simple: "Always be hopeful."

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Vandendorpe joins his hands before trying to break the world record for the longest full body contact with ice cubes.

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Men put ice cubes on French Romain Vandendorpe as he tries to break the world record.

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Men put ice cubes on French Romain Vandendorpe as he tries to break the world record.

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Vandendorpe (C) is helped out after breaking the world record.

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