Many are called, but few are Frozen.....

Polar Bear Plunge 2008 - Team Ngata

Am I crazy? Well, yes... sometimes... though most would not guess that a 34 year old man (yes, this is Matt instead of Amanda), who has just finished his Masters degree in Software Engineering, would purposefully plan to put on his swim suit in the middle of January (when its 36 degrees outside) to jump into 37 degree water by the Bay Bridge, with 15 of his friends.

(Even worse, this is my second year, so I knew what I was getting myself into... and still did it!)

Polar Bear Plunge 2007 with Super Plunger Clark Hartley

I would like to say that I did it all for the Special Olympics...however, like many of the others, the honest answer is "I was looking for the bragging rights to say that I did it." With my new found perspective on life, I've discovered that there are sometimes things that you just need to do to prove that you can, so that you don't miss out on opportunities. There are also things that you do just for the sake of extending your comfort zone and getting a different perspective on what you already know... the rest is just gaining opportunities to learn life lessons about yourself and the boudaries that you "think you have" and finding ways to prove that they are just that... boundaries, and not walls, as I often find myself doing. On the less serious side, there are some things that are done because "A man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do".

Our group (Thanks mostly to Clark Hartley) did raise over $8,000 for the cause. We were Team Ngata. Haloti Ngata is #92 from the Baltimore Ravens and a member of the Hampstead ward. Ed Mulitalo (formerly a Raven, but now a Detroit Lion) also came back and participated with us.

It was an incredible experience and we all survived. After jumping in, taking pictures, stopping for a warm meal with the guys, and getting home to a nice warm shower... I am now thawed and ready to take on the challenge next year... maybe with Amanda going in as well....
(or maybe not... I don't think she's ready to recieve a new perspective on life in quite this fashion)

Matt