How Ice Baths Saved My Life

What’s the worst day of your life—the kind of day that shatters your world?

For me, it all began as a kid just trying to recover from soccer practice, but it turned into something much bigger. Ice baths became my lifeline—not just for physical recovery but for surviving the darkest time of my life.

When I lost my dad and broke my ankle, the cold was the only thing that pulled me back from the edge. This is how ice baths saved me and how they might save you, too.

How I Discovered Ice Baths

It all started when I was in the 7th grade. That’s when I took my first ice bath. My mom picked me up from one of the first soccer practices of the season—one of the toughest because it was all about conditioning. I knew I’d be sore the next day, so I wanted to do everything I could to recover fast. I’d seen professional athletes take ice baths after games and practices, so I decided to give it a try.

When I got home, I filled the tub with cold water and used all the ice from the freezer to make it colder. I had no idea how long to stay in or what temperature the water should be, so I just plunged in. I stayed in for about 10 minutes and took a warm shower afterward.

The next day, I woke up feeling like a completely different person. The ice bath didn’t just relieve my soreness; it helped me sleep better than I ever had before. I remember thinking, “I need to do this after every practice.” And for the next two years, I did, almost religiously.

The Tipping Point

Fast forward to the end of my first year of high school. My dad was diagnosed with cancer, and his health was declining fast. Every day, I watched him get weaker while I was getting stronger—finishing in the top 10 at every cross-country meet, playing varsity soccer, and even making the state soccer team. I was on fire, and then suddenly, everything came crashing down.

On the last day of school, I broke my ankle in three places playing indoor soccer. I was in a full leg cast for three months, just as my dad’s health took its final turn. His last two weeks coincided with my first two weeks of being immobile. It’s easy to say that this was the worst time of my life.

The Struggle with Loss and Addiction

My friends were still 15-year-olds having fun, while I was forced to grow up overnight. I went from being an active kid to being stuck in a chair, dealing with my dad’s death and my broken ankle. I spiraled into anxiety, depression, and misery.

I had one goal at that time: to escape my reality. Without sports to lean on, I turned to marijuana. It was the only thing that took me out of my reality, but it came at a cost. I got addicted and soon was spending hundreds of dollars a week just to keep my mind at bay. But then something unexpected happened.

Reconnection with the Cold

Three months later, the cast came off, and I started physical therapy. At the end of my first session, the therapist wrapped my ankle in an ice pack. At first, all I could focus on was the extreme cold—this was a medical-grade ice pack, way colder than a bag of ice from the freezer. But after a few minutes, my ankle went numb, and that’s when it hit me—the cold was the answer.

This ice pack didn’t just numb my ankle; it completely took my mind off my pain, both physical and mental. Unlike weed, the cold didn’t hurt my cardiovascular system or cloud my mind. I remembered those ice baths I took after soccer practice and how they always stopped my mind from racing. That’s when I truly realized how powerful cold therapy was.

The Cold as a Lifeline

From that day on, cold therapy became my go-to for coping with stress and staying grounded. Throughout my years in Boulder, Colorado, I would ice bath in the creek two to four times a week—it became a fundamental part of who I am. The cold helped me recover physically and mentally, guiding me through some of the darkest times of my life.

As I look back on my journey, it’s clear that cold therapy has been more than just a recovery tool—it’s been a lifeline. From my early days as a seventh-grader experimenting with ice baths to navigating the most painful experiences of my life, the cold has always been there to bring me back to center.

It’s taught me resilience, helped me overcome anxiety, and gave me the mental strength to keep moving forward. Whether you’re suffering from debilitating anxiety, like I was, or just want to improve your mental clarity, I strongly encourage you to take an ice bath. It may just change your life.

Interested in taking a plunge? Make sure to get a water chiller before you go!