Most people ring in the New Year with champagne and a late night. But a group of dedicated “Penguins” choose to commemorate it with a cold dip in the ocean.

Cecelia Kilger, a Los Angeles transplant, began the tradition in 1952.  As a child, she swam in the frigid waters of Lake Michigan.  After getting caught in the surf off Playa del Rey, she got a tip to try…

Nineteen seconds. For most of us, that’s not a lot of time to accomplish much, maybe fill up a glass of water, walk up the stairs, or get a leash for the dog.

But for aspiring Olympian Derek Toomey, that’s enough time to swim two laps of the pool.

Toomey, who just finished his college swimming career at the University of Minnesota, moved to Los…