She also set an age-group world record in the 45-49 200m backstroke, a distance only recently added to official competition programmes internationally.
Rodgers said swimming in such cold water brought a combination of physical and mental challenges.
“My teeth hurt a bit and I feel the cold sensation in my chest. I was hyper-focused.”
She compared the mental challenge to ultra-running.
“You go into a different mode and I brought that to ice swimming.”
Debbie Rodgers competed in the 250m freestyle at the national ice swimming championships in Alexandra in July. Photo / Peter Holley
Jones, of Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti and Ngā Rauru descent, competed at last year’s open-water New Zealand championships before tackling the pool championships this year.
He raced the 50m and 100m freestyle before taking on the 1km freestyle, finishing in 19m 44s.
“I was a little bit nervous, some hesitancy. But I felt better once I put my head under the water,” he said.
During the 1km swim, Jones said his fingers and toes, followed by his arms and legs, began to feel “like concrete”.
“The first 250 metres, I was struggling mentally. At one point I was going to stop.”
He instead focused on his breathing and technique.
“Next thing I knew, I was getting stronger and stronger and I’m swimming the last two lengths.”
The pair trained year-round in some of Hawke’s Bay’s colder waters, including the Maraetōtara Falls, Lake Rototuna and the Pacific Ocean off Ahuriri.
Hawke’s Bay Frozen Ferns Davey Jones and Debbie Rodgers train year-round in Ahuriri. The pair will represent New Zealand at the World Ice Swimming Championships in Romania in January. Photo / Hayley Redpath
They also used a 3C outdoor ice bath about four times a week to prepare their bodies for the shock of cold-water immersion.
“The ice baths I’ve been doing really helped with my recovery post the 1km,” Jones said.
“The shaking and shivers came on, but I’ve learned to ride it out.”
At the World Championships, Rodgers plans to compete in the same events she raced in Alexandra, while Jones will add the 500m freestyle to his programme.
The 29-member national ice swimming team receive no dedicated funding and the Hawke’s Bay pair were fundraising to cover the cost of competing in Romania, while also promoting the sport locally.