CAROLINE TOMPKINS TAKES THE PLUNGE FOR OUTSIDE MAGAZINE

After Caroline came across a TikTok of cold-water swimmers in Northern California (primarily female and over the age of 50), she successfully pitched a photo story on them to Outside magazine. “It’s important to see images of older women, with different body types, using technical gear and being represented as athletes,” she notes.

“I was lucky to spend a week with them and capture in-between moments—the anticipation before jumping in, exiting the river, pouring warm water on themselves after a swim. I grew up swimming competitively, and after high school I pretty much stopped. But with this trip, I definitely caught the bug again.”

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