From Non-Swimmer to the Frozen Ferns: Tatjana Schmidt Earns Second World Championships Selection
Tatjana Schmidt’s swimming journey is taking her back onto the world stage, with selection to represent Aotearoa’s Frozen Ferns at the IISA 7th World Championships in Oradea, Romania, from 18–24 January 2027.
It will be Tatjana's second appearance for the Frozen Ferns, having represented New Zealand at the 2025 IISA World Championships in Molveno, Italy.
For someone who describes herself as having started her journey as a non-swimmer, earning another opportunity to compete internationally in one of swimming’s most extreme disciplines represents a significant personal achievement.
“This is huge personal development for me, and something I’m really proud of given my journey in swimming — from being a non-swimmer to becoming a cold-water swimmer,” Schmidt says.
Five races in Alexandra
Tatjana earned her place following a strong showing at the IISA New Zealand and Oceania Pool Championships in Alexandra in July, where she contested five events:
- 500m freestyle
- 250m freestyle
- 100m freestyle
- 50m freestyle
- 50m breaststroke
Among the highlights was an improvement of more than a minute in the 500m freestyle.
She also achieved something that meant a great deal personally: she did not finish last in any of her races.
There were 43 participants in this year's IISA NZ championships.
Schmidt credits coach Brent Foster with helping make her second championship campaign feel more manageable.
Asked whether competing at this level was any easier the second time around, she answered simply: she credits her improvement to her coach.
The technical preparation, experience and confidence gained since her first World Championships have allowed Schmidt to approach the ice swimming differently.
“Mentally, I’m quite focused and I know I can do it,” she says. “It’s a good challenge that I’ve accepted, and there’s fun in it too — especially having my good coach beside me.”
Taking on the extreme
Ice swimming is far removed from conventional pool competition.
Under International Ice Swimming Association competition conditions, swimmers race in extremely cold water, with events extending up to 1km. The physical and mental demands are considerable, and Schmidt has developed a healthy respect for the risks involved.
“It’s a lot more extreme and it can be dangerous if you miscalculate the conditions,” she says. “If you ignore the physical signs your body is giving you, the consequences can be very serious.”
That combination of challenge, preparation and calculated risk is also part of what continues to draw her to the sport.
Romania in January is expected to present another formidable test.
At the 2025 World Championships in Italy, Tajana remembers waking to frozen conditions. Romania could be colder still, potentially bringing sub-zero temperatures and a very different challenge from Alexandra.
Yet she heads towards her second World Championships with considerably more experience than she had before her first.
“The events improve every time,” Schmidt says.
The World Championships are also continuing to grow internationally. Schmidt expects significantly wider representation in Romania, reflecting the expansion of ice swimming and its increasingly global appeal.
For Tatjana, though, the biggest story is not simply where she finishes.
It is the distance travelled from someone who once considered herself a non-swimmer to an athlete preparing to pull on the Frozen Ferns colours for Aotearoa for a second time.
In January, that journey continues in the ice of Romania.
Congratulations Tatjana!
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Tatjana's series win
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Huge congratulations to our Para Swimmer of the Year 2025.
Congratulations Tate - well done - a tremendous achievement and well-deserved accolade given your hard work, perseverance and success over the year. Tate is also a member of the Waitākere Masters Swimming Club.
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Amy AKA online as the “Samoan Scientist,” is a Samoan PhD researcher at the University of Auckland whose thesis focuses on how the traditional Samoan diet may help prevent or reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes among Samoan and Pacific communities. Her research combines science with Indigenous knowledge, examining traditional foods such as taro, breadfruit, yam, banana, coconut, and fish, alongside the genetic and metabolic health of Samoan women.
Congratulations Amy. She is pictured here with fellow Sat squad member Rachel Enderby at Moana Reserve in Ōrewa.
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