2024 Bloomington Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Monroe on New Year’s Day: A loonier time than usual

At 10 o’clock sharp, several dozen hearty souls launched themselves from the swimming beach at Lake Monroe Paynetown Recreation Area into the frigid waters of the reservoir.

The annual New Year’s Day ritual—when the symbolic grime of the previous 12 months gets washed away by whatever curative powers the lake has—is called the Bloomington Polar Bear Plunge.

It has been organized for the last several years by Jeanice and Troy Chastain as a fundraiser benefiting the Boys and Girls Club. Compared to last year, when the lake was iced over, the 36 F degree water temperature was a little warmer. But the air temperature of around 33 F degrees was a good 10 degrees colder.

Like she always does, Jeanice revved up the crowd with a countdown. Troy has a different role to play. Even though the natural habitat of polar bears does not extend to southern Indiana, Troy provides the connection to arctic wildlife by donning a costume.

This year, some of Lake Monroe’s indigenous creatures were visible closeby. A likely muskrat was captured on a smartphone camera by one supporter of a plunge participant. And The B Square documented a pair of common loons that were diving about 50 yards off the beach.

The birds would stay underwater a couple of minutes before resurfacing.

Margaret Walker went into the water this year, but did not stay under as long as the loons. Still, before the plunge she told The B Square that she was intent on submerging herself, not just wading a short ways in and then hopping out.

For Walker, a first-time participant in the plunge, the event marked the celebration of a milestone: Since around February 2022, she has shed 204 pounds. Walker told The B Square she’s on a program that focused at first only on nutrition and not at all on exercise. Exercise is a consequence of nutrition, she said.

Walker put it like this: “When you fix the nutrition in your body, and it starts working right, the weight goes, and the exercise comes on—because you crave it, you need it.”

To prepare for this year’s event, Walker watched some videos of last year’s plunge. She saw several people walking into the water, to maybe a knee-high depth, and then walking back out. Walker said she would be going all the way under: “I’m going out so far, probably get to here [points to spot on upper thigh], throwing my hands up, and I’m going backwards—all the way down!”

Walker added, “And then I’m coming out! 100 miles an hour!”

Except perhaps for the exit velocity, The B Square can confirm that Walker executed on her plan.

Bloomington Polar Bear Plunge 2024