Chris Ballard

Chris Ballard is an award-winning author and journalist who has written for The New York Times, National Geographic, and Sports Illustrated, where he was a Senior Writer for two decades.

When he started writing THE PLUNGE, he had no idea about the power of cold water.

In 2024 he became the US national ice swimming champion in his age group for the 50m and 100m freestyle. In 2025 he competed at the 6th International Ice Swimming Association World Championships in Italy.