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Meet the Finnish TikToker who built a 1.4 million-strong following by filming herself digging holes in ice and jumping into freezing water
Elina Makinen
Makinen has become a TikTok sensation after filming videos of herself swimming in icy water against snowy backdrops.Elina Makinen
  • TikToker Elina Makinen said ice swimming is a common activity in her home country.

  • She believes the activity makes her feel better and she believes it's good for her health.

  • The tax advisor said swimming in such cold water is not for everyone.

Elina Makinen swims twice a day, but her pool of choice is an icy lake.

For the past 10 years, the 28-year-old has enjoyed her daily soaks amid the freezing temperatures of Finland.

This hobby has turned the tax advisor into a TikTok sensation. She has amassed more than one million followers who love watching her wade in the icy waters of Laponia.

Many of her videos have more than a million views each, with one clip in particular, in which she lip-syncs to the high-pitched "I'm so happy, I'm so sad."

It can get boring just staying in the water and waiting for time to pass, so I thought it would be fun to start filming some videos. The person who joined the platform 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266

She uses ice drills or axes to dig holes in the frozen lakes in some of her more popular videos.

@elinamae Mornings like this 🥺🥺 #morning #easy ♬ Easy On Me - Adele

She said that a lot of people in Finland have their own axes.

Many of the ice swimming clubs were closed because of Covid, so people would just make their own ice holes and swim wherever they wanted.

Elina Makinen
Makinen believes ice swimming has been good for her wellbeing.Elina Makinen

She said that ice swimming is common in her home country.

A lot of people on TikTok comment and ask me questions like "How do you resist the cold?" or "Won't you get hypothermia?" To them, this is crazy.

When she was five, she took her first icy dip with her family.

She said that the hobby used to be more popular among older Finns, but has become trendy among younger people.

She said that the activity has been great for her.

I swim once in the morning to get my blood circulation going and make me feel better. It helps to release my stress when I swim at night. I sleep well after.

Between 30 seconds and six minutes is how long Makinen spends in the water. She usually swims for up to 12 minutes.

I keep it shorter when it is too cold for me. I have to be careful not to get frostbite when the temperature is below -25 degrees Celsius.

Elina Makinen
"I like the shiver," Makinen told Insider.Elina Makinen

She says it has health benefits.

During the winter, I don't get sick. She said that she only gets the flu after the winter season when she takes a break from ice swimming.

Makinen warns that ice swimming is not for everyone.

Swimming in cold water can be dangerous for some people, and in rare cases can cause tetany, a condition in which the heart stops.

You have to know yourself and your body. It is fine for me to shiver a bit. Other people sweat when they work out. I like the cold.

The original article can be found on Insider.

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