“I feel alive!” Katharine Lange yelled as she ran out of the ocean, ice-cold water dripping down her face. 

It was 40 degrees at Willard Beach in South Portland early Saturday afternoon, and the sky was overcast, with not a ray of sunshine in sight. 

But that didn’t stop 1,500 women from plunging into the freezing waves during the sixth annual Women’s Wave to celebrate International Women’s Day. 

For Lange and her friends Jane Winarta, Shannon Papalia and Madi Mahoney,  the plunge has become a tradition.

“It was a few years ago that we first entered the ocean and felt so invigorated and strong,” Winarta said. “There’s so much laughter.” 

The event fosters connection and community, Lange said, by bringing women together in a common act of bravery. 

“There’s a connection you have with someone else when you’re in freezing water,” Lange said. “Your bodies are in an intense situation together.” 

Women came from all across New England for the Women’s Wave, making the trek from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont to be a part of the experience. 

In a sea of over a thousand, no one was a stranger.

All across the beach, women danced, laughed, shared face glitter and psyched themselves up for the freezing plunge into the ocean. 

“We’ve been talking to so many people we don’t know,” Lange said. “No matter what, there’s so much joy.” 

Created by Kelsy Hartley and Caitlin Hopkins of Two Maine Mermaids, who call themselves “Ebb” and “Flow,” respectively, the Women’s Wave celebrates solidarity among women. 

“It makes a bold statement about the strength and power of women worldwide,” Hartley said. “We’re doing a hard thing together.” 

There aren’t many days when women get to have a visual of their strength and power, Hopkins said. The Women’s Wave is one of those days.

“It’s a really impactful moment that folks can take with them the whole year,” Hopkins said. 

As the countdown to the plunge grew closer on Saturday afternoon, women all across Willard Beach stripped down to their swimsuits, letting the cool March air wash over their skin. 

The air was filled with chatter and excitement, adrenaline and nerves. 

Along the shoreline, women stood together, holding hands.

“Three, two, one!” the announcer yelled. 

In a scream of laughter, thousands of women rushed into the Atlantic Ocean together, embracing the icy water with ease. 

The freezing temperatures create an intense, full-body, alive feeling, Hopkins said. 

“You realize you can feel every inch of your whole system,” she said. “It’s exhilarating, it’s powerful, it’s exciting.” 

Up to their waists in 37 degree water, Lange and Winarta danced happily. 

Stepping out of the ocean many minutes after everyone else, the women beamed, reveling in the experience. 

“It’s joy,” Lange said. “Just boundless joy.”