Woman left shivering in ice bath, Malaysian firm slammed for extreme team-bonding challenge
A Malaysian company has come under fire after footage emerged online showing its employees participating in an extreme ice bath activity. The company, Victoria's Vitality — known for its health and beauty products — had organised the session as a team-bonding exercise. However, the move quickly drew criticism from users, who raised concerns about the safety and well-being of the employees involved. A viral video showed a woman shivering during a Malaysian company's ice bath challenge, sparking criticism of the team-building stunt.(Instagram/ngosak9509)
(Also read: 'No time for life': Andhra Pradesh's new 10-hour work rule slammed by employees)
The backlash began after a participant, known by her Instagram handle Ngosak Bi Bi, posted a reel capturing her visibly distressed state as she sat submerged in ice water. Shivering and struggling, she tried to motivate herself through the discomfort by repeating:
'I must be myself. I need to break through. I'm not afraid of pain or hardship. I'm not afraid to cross this road.'
As the ten-minute ordeal concluded, Ngosak was unable to stand on her own, with colleagues having to carry her by the arms and massage her reddened legs to help her recover. Company and organiser defend the activity
Following the online uproar, Victoria's Vitality founder Belinda Feng took to Instagram to defend the activity. Responding to accusations that the ice bath was unsafe or cult-like in nature, Feng insisted that the exercise was conducted under professional supervision.
'We're not a cult. We're just a group of women who work hard for our dreams,' she stated.
'You can laugh at us and criticise all you want, but we will keep working hard for our dreams.'
Ngosak herself echoed this sentiment, reiterating that the session was safe and overseen by an expert. However, she stressed that such challenges should not be attempted without professional guidance.
Ice bath provider addresses safety concerns
The cold plunge setup was provided by Warrior Plunge, a business specialising in ice baths and saunas. Its founder, David Lai, also shared an Instagram reel clarifying the role his company played.
'The honest truth to me is that, nobody got harmed, not a single person got injured, and not one single girl in the video walked away with a flu,' Lai wrote.
'The cold plunge is not for everyone. Just like Durian. Don't do it if you have a serious heart issue.'
He further added that adults are responsible for their own choices:
'Nobody can force you to do something you don't want to do. You own your own experience — good or bad.'
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