Chris Ballard is a journalist and author, who spent two decades as a Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated, and has written for The New York Times Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.

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 100m and the 50m freestyle. In 2025 he competed at the 6th International Ice Swimming Association World Championships in Italy.