Bárbara Hernández
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| Nickname | "Ice Mermaid" (Sirena del Hielo) | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 31 December 1985 Santiago, Chile | |||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Bárbara Milenka Hernández Huerta (born 31 December 1985) is a Chilean open water swimmer, known as the "Ice Mermaid" (Sirena del Hielo). She has been a world champion in ice water swimming and in open water [1]
In 2022 and 2023, she achieved three Guinness World Records.[2] The following year, she became the first South American to complete the Oceans Seven challenge[3].
Biography
[edit]Born in Santiago, Hernández graduated as psychologist from the University of Chile in 2012 , and in 2017, she earned a master's degree in psychology from the same institution[4].
At the age of 17, she began her journey in open water swimming, inspired by Chilean swimmer Víctor Contreras, Americans swimmers Lynne Cox and Jaimie Monahan, and Mexican swimmer Nora Toledano.[5]
In 2014, she received an invitation to participate in that year's Winter Swimming Festival[6], where she swam in -5°C waters at the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina without a wetsuit or any insulating grease to protect against the cold.[5]
Hernández topped the global Ice Swimming ranking according to the International Winter Swimming Association (IWSA)[7] during the 2017-2018 [8] and 2018-2019 seasons. She was also awarded world championship titles by IWSA in Tyumen 2016, Bled 2020 and Tallinn 2024.[9] In addition, she has been recognized by the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA), earning championship titles in Murmansk 2018, Samoëns 2023, and Molveno 2025.[10]
In 2024, Hernández crossed the Tsugaru Strait in Japan, becoming the first South American to complete the Oceans Seven challenge.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Muñoz González, Camila (2018-01-24). "Bárbara Hernández: La chilena que cambió todo por nadar en aguas que bordean los -5°C" [Bárbara Hernández: The Chilean Who Gave Up Everything to Swim in Waters Near -5°C]. BioBioChile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Longest polar ice swim (female)". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
- ^ Solís, Francisco (2024-06-14). "Bárbara Hernández hace historia al completar Desafío de los 7 Mares: primera sudamericana en lograrlo" [Bárbara Hernández Makes History Completing Ocean’s Seven Challenge: First South American to Achieve It]. BioBio Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Siebert, Francisca (2019-06-24). "Bárbara Hernández, nadadora de aguas gélidas: "Los deportistas tenemos que estar dispuestos a ayudar para que las generaciones que vengan cuenten con el apoyo que a nosotros nos faltó"" [Bárbara Hernández, Cold-Water Swimmer: "Athletes Must Be Willing to Help So Future Generations Have the Support We Lacked"]. Universidad de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ a b "The Swimming Life Of Bárbara Hernández Huerta". World Open Water Swimming Association. 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
- ^ "Internacional Winter Swimming Festival Argentina 2014". Natación (in Spanish). 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ "Bárbara Hernández Huerta". World Open Water Swimming Association. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ^ "Chilena Bárbara Hernández logra primer lugar en ranking mundial de natación en aguas gélidas" [Chilean Bárbara Hernández Claims Top Spot in Global Cold-Water Swimming Rankings]. 24 Horas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ^ "Bárbara Hernández, la nadadora chilena que ni la pandemia y el frío le impiden continuar triunfando" [Bárbara Hernández, the Chilean Swimmer Whom Neither the Pandemic nor the Cold Can Stop from Winning]. She's Mercedes. Archived from the original on 2025-04-23.
- ^ "La nadadora Bárbara Hernández obtuvo medalla de oro en competencia en Eslovenia" [Swimmer Bárbara Hernández Wins Gold Medal at Competition in Slovenia]. CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ^ Droppelmann, Veronica. "Bárbara Hernández, la primera sudamericana en lograr el Desafío de los Siete Mares: "Las personas creen que los deportistas extremos tenemos una fijación con la muerte y la desafiamos. Es lo contrario, tenemos una forma distinta de abrazar la vida"" [Bárbara Hernández Becomes First South American to Complete the Ocean’s Seven Challenge]. Ladera Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-06.