“This is a beautifully written companion for anyone wishing to become truly connected to the magic of cold water immersion. But it is so much more than that. I know Gilly well, and this book lets you into her world – and that too is so, so beautiful. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a real journey into nature, as her vignettes will take you there.”

Mike Geldard OBE, Retired Royal Marines Officer and former head of Commando Training in the UK

“Love is the beginning of the journey, it is the end, and it is the journey itself. I have met many people in my lifetime, but not many people that embody this in the way that Gilly McArthur does. She met me with full-on love, without ever having seen me, she embraced me with a smile as warm and as large as the sun; as if we were already fast friends. Quite the interesting thing about Gilly, she is all warmth yet her superhuman power is cold. She is quite easy to love. And many do, from the smallest of creatures in the animal kingdom to the handsomest of men, we all fall at Ms. McArthur’s feet, following her into the cold because. if the sparrow can trust her, surely I can as well. I followed her into the water and what I learned has stayed with me year after year. I know it will for you as well.”

Rachel Roy – Fashion designer, humanitarian, entrepreneur.

“Gilly’s conversational tone and warmth shine through. I felt I had a trusted friend alongside to remind me why I love cold water and to coax me back in. And I realised I really had missed it !!

Thanks, Gilly, this is the perfect companion whether you end up taking the plunge or not. A beautiful ode to our connection with the natural world, each other and why this matters more than ever right now.”

Nemone Metaxas, Psychotherapist, broadcaster & DJ

“Whether she’s armed with an axe from Aldi’s mystery aisle, volunteering her curls as a taxi for a soggy bumblebee, listening to a lone robin’s song or observing gentle cracks in winter ice, Gilly’s deep connection to nature and warm self-deprecating humour are perfect for a journey of self-discovery and growth.

Gilly’s wise take on life and gratitude for the simple pleasures have motivated me to spend more time outside, leaving tech behind, and finding an inner peace and happiness in the wild.”

Helen Fospero, Broadcaster

“McArthur delivers a gorgeous journey through the experience of cold water swimming that lifts the reader’s spirits and energises the imagination. The Beauty of the Cold is an illustrated poem that reminds of times when we felt most alive. Part of McArthurs genius is the way she activates in us the urge to play together outdoors. Each turn of the page returns us to a childlike curiosity, before we became too comfortable, too certain, too cautious, and too disconnected. Hers is the kind of memoir that we wish we could make for ourselves. She presents to us the antidote to the ills of our modern, industrialized world and shows us that our bodies are meant to be challenged and our brains are built for finding harmony in small hardships.”

Thomas P Seager, PhD Associate Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering, Arizona State University CEO, Morozko Forge.

“The Beauty of Cold is a love letter to wild water and the fierce tenderness it awakens in us. Gilly doesn’t just write about swimming — she writes about belonging: to the body, the elements, and the present moment. Brave, playful and full of heart, this book reminds us that in the cold, we find our true aliveness.”

Easkey Britton PHD and big wave surfer and author of “Saltwater in the Blood”