But for a freak training accident, there’s no way Arrowtown 17-year-old Finn Henderson would be competing at the world ice swimming champs in Romania in January.

Before last October, Finn had been training and competing as a pool swimmer for eight years, culminating in placing eighth for his age in the 1500 metres freestyle at the national champs five months earlier.

Then, a year ago, while training in Cromwell, he hooked into another swimmer’s arm mid-stroke.

What turned out to be a right shoulder injury in the rotator cuff area then took him out of swimming for eight months.

In the interim he’d heard a swimmer Heidi Winter, whom he’d met, had also been dipping her toes into ice swimming.

“It really piqued my interest, I’d never heard anything about it.

“I enjoyed open water previously, so I thought it was something similar to that.”

In ice swimming, the water has to be 5˚C or less and you’re not allowed a wetsuit.

The year 13 Wakatipu High student “warmed’’ up by swimming in nearby Lake Hayes, where it was 8˚C , and he then gradually lengthened his time in the water.

Then, just three months ago, he swam six races at the New Zealand ice swimming nationals in Alexandra.

Amazingly, he set world age group records in the 100m and 200m individual medley and 200m backstroke — in the process sealing a spot in NZ’s Frozen Ferns squad for the worlds in Romania.

“I was absolutely astounded, really, I couldn’t didn’t believe it, to be honest.”

Finn’s in awe of ice swimmers who compete in 1km races — “I’m getting in there for three minutes and it’s like you get out and you just feel exhausted”.

He now has an ice bath to train for Romania — he’ll be turning 18 during the worlds — and is also fundraising for the trip.

He’s still keen to pursue “normal’’ pool swimming — “I enjoy aspects of both” — but is enjoying the opportunity to try something else, albeit it’s still in a pool.

“It’s just an entire new area of life I just didn’t expect I’d be able to experience.”

Meanwhile, two Queenstowners who competed at the last worlds in Italy, early last year, will also be going to Romania — Bethany Rogers and Anneke Veenstra.

The latter, an “honorary’’ Frozen Fern, will again swim for the Netherlands, where she’s originally from.

scoop@scene.co.nz