Maria Bodaj has been officially confirmed as a two-time Guinness World Record holder for extreme cold endurance, Guinness World Records announced on 18 August 2026.
The record recognises a feat Bodaj completed months earlier: on 19 December 2025 in Sopot, Poland, she spent 1 hour and 38 seconds fully submerged in ice water held at approximately 3.5°C. The achievement created an entirely new category, Longest Duration Submerged in Ice Water (Female), with Bodaj becoming its first-ever titleholder.
It is her second Guinness World Record in little over a year. In June 2025, Bodaj set the female record for Longest Duration Full-Body Contact with Ice, remaining in direct contact with ice for 3 hours, 33 minutes and 33 seconds.
Bodaj trains as part of Romanovski Team, founded by Valerjan Romanovski, himself a multiple world and Guinness World Record holder in extreme cold disciplines. She has credited the team's structure, the preparation, shared knowledge and trust between athletes, as central to how she approaches each new challenge.
For Bodaj, the records themselves are only part of the story. She describes her ongoing work with cold exposure as a study in how the body and mind respond under extreme conditions, and as a practice in building mental resilience while staying attuned to her own limits.
She isn't done yet. Bodaj and Romanovski Team are already preparing their next project: a 24-hour under-ice relay.
Two records in, and Maria Bodaj is only getting started.
.jpg)
We help to generate greater reach, engagement, value and revenue for content creators, social publishers, event owners, premium content producers, brands and agencies. If you would like to chat to us about ways in which we can work together, please:
