John Quincy Adams had a routine.
Almost every morning, he walked to the Potomac River, removed his clothes, and went for a swim.
Completely naked. While serving as president of the United States.
Adams believed cold-water bathing was good for the body and the mind. It wasn’t a secret. Locals knew. Visitors sometimes watched from a distance, politely pretending not to notice.
One journalist tried to ambush him by sitting on his clothes until he agreed to an interview. Adams refused to come out of the water, and waited her out.
Eventually, she gave up.
Adams put his clothes back on and went about his day.
He wasn’t embarrass. To him, it was exercise, discipline, and a perfectly sensible way to start the morning.
History remembers John Quincy Adams for diplomacy, intelligence, and stubborn integrity.
It usually leaves out the part where the president swam the Potomac in the nude before breakfast.
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