Community Corner

New London Tube: Penguin Plunge With Shoreline Roller Derby

First-person view of what it's like to leap into the wintry waters of a New London beach

Want to know what it's like to dive into the wintry waters of Long Island Sound as part of the Penguin Plunge? This video gives a pretty good idea, albeit without the actual shock of cold.

The Penguin Plunge comes to Ocean Beach Park every February as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics of Connecticut. Last year's event raised over $65,000 for the cause and was one of several Penguin Plunge events across the state. Participants have to raise at least $75 and dash into the chilly water.

The video tags along with the Shoreline Roller Derby as the team takes their turn to run down the chute into the Sound during the 2012 event. The person manning the camera jumps right in with them, getting a unique perspective of the participants' reaction to the February swim. Some stagger to get out as quickly as possible while others linger in the waves a little longer.

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This was the roller derby team's first time plunging as a team. You can read more about it in last year's coverage of the Penguin Plunge as well as the profiles of derby members Tonya Kloiber and M'Liss Rinaldi. The team is between roller derby seasons right now, but at 7 p.m. on March 3 they'll be holding an informational session at Galaxy Roller Rink in Groton for anyone interested in joining the league.

It was also the first time I gave the event a try, joining the Hanafin's Irish Pub team. This year, I've convinced a few co-workers to join the Patch Plungers for the cause. Head to this site to make a donation to this team.

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For more information on joining the event, check out this announcement.

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