Dedicated and professional with a fantastic sense of humour, Gabby Logan is one of the UK’s leading broadcasters and has recently been recognised with an MBE for services to sports broadcast and promoting women in sport.
Now, Gabby Logan is featuring in a brand new BBC One series: Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof.
Gabby Logan pictured by Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Episode one sees the group and Gabby take part in a ice water plunge in the Italian Alps, with Wim Hof guiding each participant through breathing techniques and the art of not panicking.
Speaking on the show, she shared why she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone…
“I want to prove to myself, and to everybody of my age, that middle age is not a period to stop and to slow down, it’s about pushing yourself and experiencing things that you maybe never thought that you would. And to prove that middle age is not beige!”
Amen to that! Here she shares some other anecdotes from her time on the show…
How did Wim gain your confidence?
Wim gained my confidence by telling his story – laying it out at the very beginning was a powerful communication to us all about his journey. His spirit and energy are infectious and of course he lives an exaggerated version of what most of us can achieve. But the way he broke things down and the fact that what he was offering was free and accessible for all was where I really bought in.
Which part of the experience did you find the hardest? Or were there things you thought you’d find difficult but didn’t?
I found the heights tough as I was very scared of heights prior to doing the show. I don’t even like sitting by a window in a high building! The first forward abseil was something I never thought I could achieve, but after that I became much more confident with what I could do, and I trusted the process. I hated the first immersion into the ice-cold lake – it was literally breath-taking.
But the cold challenges had an incredible effect physiologically on me. I loved the feeling after the ice challenges and my body tingled and felt so alive. The most impactful was the breathing. I have never experienced anything like the first breathing session and what happened when I felt like Tamzin’s mum was with me was just extraordinary. I don’t know to this day what happened and how I can describe to you the overwhelming sense of love that was around me and flowing through me, it was almost tangible.
Which of the celebs did you bond with most during the experience?
I loved all of my tent mates, I think we looked out for each other. The very early experience I had with the breathing and Tamzin’s mum seemed to cement what was already a blossoming friendship.
Rather than trying to be younger and fight ageing or being nostalgic for our youth, I think we have both found our mojo in midlife and that is a very liberating thing.
I think we are very alike but also really different and we celebrate our differences because we are women of a certain age who have experienced so many different things in life. Rather than trying to be younger and fight ageing or being nostalgic for our youth, I think we have both found our mojo in midlife and that is a very liberating thing. I think she is a superb woman and I loved her energy. We had a similar sense of humour, which Patrice was also party to.
Which, if any, parts of this experience will you take forward with you in everyday life?
The experience has changed me. I am still cold showering and looking to buy an ice bath! I have done a few breathing sessions too and will always use the breathing. I generally feel more calm and able to put things into perspective quicker. Also, it is really important as one gets older to embrace change and to listen to new ideas. I think that will keep me inquisitive and stop my mindset from getting stuck. This includes meeting people who have a different opinion and life experience from your own. As a group we really did come from diverse backgrounds and that was so important to me – we shared our stories and that can only help one to appreciate diversity in every form.
Safe cold water immersion
The dangers of cold-water swimming are communicated within the broadcast, see below to links for reference:
