Photo: Stefan Brending (2eight) / CC BY-SA 3.0 de (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Wim Hof, the Dutch Iceman, is fascinating and maddening in equal measure. The man genuinely held Guinness records for ice swimming and prolonged ice contact, and ran a barefoot half marathon on snow, so the physical feats are not hype. Where I get cautious is the method built around him, breathing plus cold exposure, which has real adherents and ongoing scientific scrutiny but also outsized claims. I admire the discipline and the willingness to subject himself to experiments. My honest take is to enjoy his story as an extreme-athlete saga first, and treat the wellness promises with healthy skepticism rather than reverence.
Overview
Wim Hof (pronounced [ʋɪm ˈɦɔf]; born 20 April 1959), also known as The Iceman, is a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand low temperatures. He previously held a Guinness World Record for swimming under ice and prolonged full-body contact with ice, and he holds a record for a barefoot half marathon on ice and snow.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Wim Hof
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴィム・ホフ
- Reading
- ゔぃむ・ほふ
- Born
- April 20, 1959 (age 67)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Boar
- Origin
- Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- swimmer / stunt performer / motivational speaker / athlete / elite athlete
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Swimmer — see all → · Stunt performer — see all → · More people from Netherlands →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.