Dubliner Nina McGowan, who turned 50 in May, dived 43 metres in 2 minutes and 10 seconds, setting a new world record at a pre-competition event ahead of the CMAS World Outdoor Freediving Championship.
All freediving is performed without breathing apparatus but McGowan's record was also set in the no-fin category.
Amazingly, McGowan started freediving only three years ago after coming across the sport while on a vacation in Egypt, but she was already experienced in scuba diving and yoga — a practice that she says is intricately linked with freediving in its breathwork.
"I had practiced breathwork techniques in yoga, but in the water, I discovered that I had a particular aptitude for the extremely difficult task of journeying to the bottom of the sea on one human breath."
Indeed, McGowan can hold her breath for around three-and-a-half minutes. Her success may also be partially due to her childhood: "My dad was a scuba diver, so I had always known how to swim. I started swimming before I could walk."
McGowan has said that one of her goals is to motivate other women to pursue sport at any age.
"When I turned 50 in May, one of the things that I wanted to do was to show other women that they can do anything — your bodies are not falling apart. You can keep going."
McGowan is certainly an inspiration. In her brief time freediving she has already set four national records, in addition to her new world record — and as well as a scuba dive master and yogi, she's an accomplished visual artist.
McGowan has set her sights on breaking more records, and given what she's accomplished so far, we should expect great things from the Irish diver.
