Kiola Werner vividly remembers the pain of his first icy plunge into the Salish Sea, inspired by a man he was working with as a fledgling videographer.

It started about three years ago, the 23-year-old had just bought a camera B次元官网网址� revisiting a passion of his youth while he was in school for business. Kit Warren, a friend of his dadB次元官网网址檚, was helping him dip into the film world.

B次元官网网址淏efore we could formulate ideas for his podcast videos, he would invite me to do the cold water swim every morning,B次元官网网址� the now 23-year-old said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 tough, like the challenges you face in life.B次元官网网址�

The pair ended up diving headlong into a hot project about a community of Victoria cold-water swimmers.

The 30-minute documentary B次元官网网址� Inner Waves: Four Stories of Transformation Through Cold Water Therapy B次元官网网址� explores the folks who take to the waters off Mile Zero any day of the year. It captures the experiences of four individuals whose lives were changed by cold water therapy.

They got to know each other over more than a year of working and swimming together.

B次元官网网址淭hat kept me pushing to do this documentary,B次元官网网址� he said.

They found out about Storyhive funding applications about a week before the deadline, Werner said. B次元官网网址淲e all pitched this project together,B次元官网网址� he added.

With hours to spare they hit the B次元官网网址榮ubmitB次元官网网址� button with a pitch video made that day. Six months later the approved grant kicked off the two-year project with a $20,000 budget.

Coproduced by Jenna Rae, and developed with composers and filmmakers from across Greater Victoria, the documentary launched with a 200-person premier at the Vic Theatre in April 2024. Now Inner Waves is available on StoryhiveB次元官网网址檚 YouTube channel, Optik TV channel 9 and Stream+.

Of the four, WarrenB次元官网网址檚 story is the one that stands out for the young filmmaker, who now lives in Duncan.

B次元官网网址淢ental health, trauma, drug addiction, these are some of the stories we tell. ItB次元官网网址檚 really about coming together as a community and the ocean being a place where people can come together,B次元官网网址� he said.

He knew the people and some of the shared tales, but as a 20-year-old working with those with far more life experience, the focus of the story eluded him B次元官网网址� until WarrenB次元官网网址檚 first interview delving into moments of trauma that left him injured.

The Mile Zero Minnows continue their cold water therapy swims in Victoria.

Werner has shifted focus to cooking.com, building a sales business with a focus on funding food security films or documentaries. His cold water dips continue on an as-needed basis.

B次元官网网址淚 do it when I feel like I need to do it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t comes and goes, itB次元官网网址檚 a lot of energy you use and itB次元官网网址檚 very intense.B次元官网网址�