Cayman 2009 Breathless “In List”
Mandy-Rae Cruickshank, from Canada has been Freediving since 2000. Mandy-Rae got into Freediving becuase she was after a new way (other than SCUBA) to be under the water. In the past 9 years Mandy-Rae has acheived 7 World records and 11 National records. She works teaching Freediving with her husband and coach Kirk Krack.
“I love this sport becuase you meet a lot of amazing people that all want to figure out the same thing…how far can I go?”
Carol Schrappe started Freediving during her first scuba instructor course in 2001 when they tested her watermanship skills by having her retrieve anchors from the bottom on one breath of air. She started competing in 2001 in the World Championship when she first dove to 30 meters, but soon after took a break from diving with the birth of her second son. She returned to the sport in 2006 when she took the PFI intermediate course, where she progressed to 46 meters and then to 61 the following year. Carol and her husband own a dive shop in Brazil called Acquanauta Dive Center. “I live for diving and dive for a living. Freediving is my life.”
Carla Hanson is from the USA and although she has been a competitive swimmer most of her life, this will be her first competition having learned to equalize on Freedives just 6 months ago. ”Your never too old to find a new passion”
DeeDee Flores said she first decided to get trained to Freedive after she dove with humpback whales. “I fortunate enough to swim with a humpback and her baby and after Freediving down to them I looked back to see how far down I had gotten. As I made my way back to the surface, I decided that it was time to get trained to do it right. That led me to Performance Freediving and the rest is, as they say, ‘herstory.’”
Erin Magee started Freediving while living in the Florida Keys where she worked as a scuba instructor. After several years of Freediving recreationally, she began working as an instructor for Performance Freediving International in 2009. After the competition she and Ted are moving to Ft. Lauderdale to open PFI’s new office there and to begin running more classes locally. “To me the best part of Freediving is progressing beyond what I used to think was possible. I’m amazed at the way the training allows divers to take advantage of diving reflexes that have been there all along.”
Julie Bisaisllon has been a divemaster for 2 years and after taking the PFI clinic in 2008, she started Freediving competitively. She participated in the World Championship in Egypt 2008 where she of got the bug for competition. In her everyday life, Julie is a yoga instructor and student, studying kinesiology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Competition is only a bonus after dedication to hard training. This competition will be very fun. Only a few athletes and so much to do!”
Ben Weiss started his apnea career in the 4th grade when he decided to break up the monotony of class by holding breath-holding contests with his friends. “From diving down to touch the bottom of the swimming pool, learning to equalize, diving under a 5-meter arch on Maui, diving down 10 meters on Catalina, 20 meters in Palau, 30 meters in my first PFI course, 40 meters in Kona and 50 meters (and counting) here in Cayman, it’s been an incredibly addictive adventure!”
David Sims Before he ever really knew what it was, David began Freediving as a kid, doing underwater pool laps to see how far he could go. His father used to challenge him to beat his three-minute breath holds. “It was play then, and still is. But it is also much more than play. It brings friendships, beauty, mental challenge, exercise, health and food unequaled in any other sport I’ve attempted. Whether prying up an abalone or straining after my elusive limits, it is all an escape and a joy.”
Ted Harty’s interest in freediving began when he started working as a scuba instructor in the Florida Keys. He had lots of opportunities to get in the water and freedive when he worked as a divemaster on the boat. He and Erin will soon move to Fort Lauderdale to open PFI’s new office, teach classes locally and travel to help Kirk and Mandy teach classes as well. “PFI training really works, I came down to the competition with a max of 28 meters and right now my best dive is 53 meters and counting.”
