In the freezing heart of Kazan, I took the plunge with the Russian Walrus club. This cold-water tradition is part of a unique culture that blends strength, discipline, and community.

The anatomy of a polar plunge In order for it to get really cold, the air has to come from a really cold place. A polar region, such as north of Russia, fits the bill.

Lustgarten’s group – the Coney Island Polar Bear Club – hosted the first winter water plunge in the United States on New Year’s Day in 1903. The L Street Brownies in South Boston followed ...