Otakar (Ota) Zemek brings together cold-water swimming, community and technology. He founded Otužilci Frýdek-Místek, created the JSEM TU! cold-water swimming app and is a former member of the First Prague Cold-Water Swimming Club (I. PKO Praha).
From Prague’s Vltava to the Ostravice
At I. PKO Praha, he helped with club administration, transferring membership records to a computer and supporting newcomers as they took their first steps into cold water. After moving to the Beskydy region, he founded Otužilci Frýdek-Místek, whose members meet for winter swims in the Ostravice at the U Žida weir.
This Prague website features his earlier articles as well as an introduction to the app co-written with club chair Tomáš Prokop. He also contributes to the website’s current design and administration.
Web development and IT for a swimming community
Otakar Zemek connects his experience as a cold-water swimmer with web development and app creation. His projects include the design and administration of this club website and JSEM TU!, a cold-water swimming app for organising group activities and keeping a personal swimming diary. He builds websites and provides IT help for friends, bringing practical tools to the communities he is part of.
Cold-water swimming in Frýdek-Místek
Group swims, runs and trips, advice for newcomers and stories from the water can be found on the Otužilci Frýdek-Místek website.
The JSEM TU! app
Drawing on his experience of running a cold-water swimming group, he created an app for shared activities, regular attendance and a personal swimming diary. How JSEM TU! helps cold-water swimmers →
Otakar Zemek on Czech Radio
He also discussed cold-water swimming on Czech Radio Ostrava’s Poradna programme. Listen to the interview from 25 January 2022 (in Czech) →
Contact
For enquiries about the app, articles or website administration: otakar.zemek@otuzilci-praha.cz.
For membership, training and club matters, please use the I. PKO Praha contact details.
Articles by Otakar Zemek on the I. PKO Praha website
- JSEM TU! — a cold-water swimming app for I. PKO Praha tooTomáš Prokop, Ota Zemek
- The Northernmost Ice MileOtakar Zemek
- Introducing Young People to Cold-Water SwimmingOtakar Zemek