A Malaysian woman named Ngosak recently went viral after participating in a cold plunge challenge during a company team-building event.
Now, she has come forward to share her personal reason behind the act, which was heavily criticised online.
Wanted to break through inner struggles
In an interview with Goody25, Ngosak explained that the ice bath challenge was part of a corporate team-building activity held by her company.
She admitted the first few seconds of the plunge were extremely difficult and even triggered painful memories from her past.
“Honestly, the first three seconds were really tough—even my breathing became rapid and it brought back a lot of past memories.”
I used to be trapped in a marriage filled with hurt and control, and it took a lot for me to finally walk away as a single mother,” she said.
A single mother and survivor
Ngosak revealed that she had gone through a painful and controlling marriage in the past.
After ending the relationship, she became a single mother and slowly began rebuilding her life.
She said that this experience taught her what “breakthrough” truly means — not about status or wealth, but about finding the strength to move on from darkness.
In the past, I always thought the word “breakthrough” only belonged to people with strong backgrounds or wealth, and that I didn’t deserve it. But this experience made me realize that true breakthrough means stepping out of the darkness and defeating your own struggles.
“I can accept the Cold Plunge Challenge, but I would never want to walk back down that old path again.”
Addresses netizens’ concerns
Many online criticised the challenge as dangerous, especially after clips of the event circulated on social media. Some also questioned her expressions, bruises, and appearance.
Ngosak said her expressions might have looked exaggerated and admitted the editing of her video could have caused misunderstandings. She apologised sincerely to those who were concerned.
Sometimes, my expressions may look too exaggerated, and with the dark circles or bruises, people might misunderstand.
Believes in the power of teamwork
Despite the backlash, she highlighted the support among colleagues during the challenge.
She said that the trust and encouragement from others made it possible to keep going and added that a strong team is built on mutual support, and this experience helped them grow closer.
READ ALSO:
