British Freediving Association
Never dive alone
Liv Philip headed the safety team for Andrea Zuccari and Stavros Kastrinakis’ Tandem World Record of 126 meters on 21st January 2013 at the new Freediving World Apnea Center in Sharm El Sheikh. Andrea Zuccari went on to secure the Italian National Record in No Limits by going down to an incredible 155 meters, a record previously held by the legendary Umberto Pelizzari. The record was judged by the UK’s David Tranfield and Liv Philip was the Head Safety.
Picture Credit: Daan Verhoeven
On the 3rd April 2009 at 11.10am local time on Long Island in the Bahamas, British freediver, Sara Campbell, who turned 37 on Monday 30th March, set a new World Record in womens freediving of 96m Constant Weight on just one breath.
The dive took her 3 minutes and 34 seconds, and although light-headed on the surface she successfully completed the surface protocol, securing a white card from the judges.
On completing the dive, Sara said:
“This was by far the toughest World Record I’ve earned. The emotional journey to 96m and back was just a formality, compared to the emotional journey of losing my mum last year, and struggling to dive in the most challenging conditions I’ve ever experienced here. I have completed only 17 training dives since I became World Champion in November 2007. I’m delighted to be back!”
For interviews Sara can be contacted on 001 242 337 1247. Please feel free to call or email her at any time (doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the night, she’d love to talk!)
Photography and videos can be downloaded from Sara’s FTP server. To gain access to this server please contact e-media and we will send you the details.
Sara Campbell
NEW WORLD RECORD HOLDER -96, CWT
WORLD CHAMPION FREEDIVER
CONSTANT WEIGHT
‘Triple Depth’ international freediving competition, Dahab, Egypt:
Londoner Sara Campbell has rescued British Sport from the doldrums this weekend, with a spectacular coup of 3 World Freediving records, over a 48 hour period. This is nothing short of amazing, and has knocked the world freediving community sideways.
On Friday the 19th of October 2007, Sara surprised everyone in the opening discipline of Free Immersion when she reached a depth of 81 metres, pulling down a measured line using arms only. In doing so, she relieved Russian freediving stalwart Natalia Molchanova of her previous record of 80 metres.
Just one day later, spectators were staggered to find that Campbell had posted a depth of no less than 90 metres for Constant Weight, where the athlete must descend using swim fin(s). This was viewed as a gross over-estimate for the diminutive newcomer, who has been freediving for less than one year. With utter disbelief, the audience were shown just what grit and determination can result in, when Sara returned to the surface with a depth tag. Not only had she beaten the previous World record holder Mandy-Rae Cruikshank, but had done so by an extra 2 metres.
On Sunday the 21st of October, the final day of the competition, there were no surprises that Sara would aim deep for another world record, this time in Constant Weight No-Fins. As the name suggests, a swim to the depths with no assistance of any kind, with Nataila Molchanova again the title holder with 55 metres. Sara reached a metre deeper to beat this, setting the new CNF world record to 56 metres.