Dr Ravi Jain Raises Money for Eating Disorders Charity

Anyone who follows Dr Ravi Jain on social media will have seen him regularly submerging himself in ice baths and swimming in the river behind his clinic at all times of the year. 

The founder of the Riverbanks Aesthetics and Wellness Clinic in East Hyde has even given talks on the benefits of cold water swimming and immersion at industry events. But now he’s taking his passion for the cold to the next level by undertaking a gruelling ice swimming challenge to raise money for the eating disorder charity BEAT. 

Dr Jain discovered his passion for cold water swimming back in January 2021 when he did his first river dip, and from that point, he “was hooked”. “I got pretty good at ice baths and wanted a new challenge. That’s when the ice mile came in”, he says.

On December 1, Dr Jain will be swimming in a loch in Scotland where water temperatures are expected to be below 5 degree or lower, in line with the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) guidelines. If this wasn’t tough enough, he will be swimming a mile in these icy conditions. 

The guidelines also say Dr Jain can’t rest or touch the ground and has to enter and exit the water unassisted. He also has to have witnesses and a medical team on standby for the real risk of severe hypothermia. 

“I had pretty much mastered sitting in cold water, but swimming in it is a whole other challenge”, Dr Jain explains. “When I first embarked upon this journey, I had definitely overestimated my swimming ability – when I started training in November 2022, I could barely swim 100 metres without feeling like I’d done a marathon, and the idea of swimming a mile, let alone in ice cold water felt impossible. However, with the help of some amazing swimming coaches, pool and lakeside friends and the motivation of fundraising for BEAT, a charity with a cause deeply connected to my family’s heart, I have successfully swum a mile in open water, something which seemed impossible not so long ago. Now, the mission is to do it faster and colder so I can complete it before severe hypothermia kicks in when I will be pulled out of the water by the safety team!”

The charity Dr Jain is swimming for, BEAT, is the UK’s eating disorder charity and aims to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders; as he said, it’s a charity close to his heart.

He says, “This journey I’ve been on to swim an ice mile has been incredibly challenging but also deeply personal. From my family’s own experience of supporting a loved one suffering from an eating disorder, I know first-hand the toll eating disorders take not only on the afflicted individual but also on their families.

“Eating disorders really do test the strength of family relationships with countless mealtime battles, wanting to say the ‘right’ thing but getting shouted at instead, seeing my daughter stop enjoying things she used to love, withdrawing from her friends and quite literally have the life sucked out of her by the evil in her mind, something which, as a parent, was heartbreaking to see.

“What is particularly important to me about BEAT is their commitment to support those affected by eating disorders regardless of the state of their physical health. My daughter was fortunate to receive treatment from the local eating disorder services for anorexia a few years ago; however, the current system fails the majority as only 6% of those suffering from eating disorders are actually underweight, and the current system often requires that a set of physical criteria including a certain weight are met to access specialist support. I have also learned through supporting my daughter that just because somebody may be weight restored, it does not necessarily mean that they are no longer struggling, as eating disorders are not weight disorders and involve so much more than just food. BEAT embraces this understanding of these illnesses as mental disorders. It works to bridge the gap in the system, striving to ensure that each person facing an eating disorder receives the care and support they need. 

Any donations made will, therefore, pave the way for individuals and families to access life-changing support, which they may not have access to otherwise and will help BEAT continue to expand their support services and programmes across the country, as well as campaign for early support and changes to the current mental health system’s management of eating disorders.

“In conquering the ice mile, I hope that I will be able to fundraise a substantial amount to donate to BEAT, whose cause continues to resonate deep within me and that the waves I make through my icy endeavours will serve as a testament to the resilience of those fighting eating disorders.”

Dr Jain had raised £7,000 at the time of publication and is hoping to reach £10,000.

You can donate by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/page/ravi-jain-icemile