Danai Varveri ( ) is a
Greek free diver, mostly known for her world
record dive in
1999 to 40 meters (132 feet)
without a mask, fins or suit, in the (later established) discipline
of constant weight without fins, in 71 seconds.
The dive also marked
the inauguration of the Big Blue Games, a free diving competition
to be held annually in Spetses
, Greece
, with the
cooperation of the Mayor of Spetses and with the participation of
free diving champions from all over the world. This specific
dive and some of its circumstances has been the basis of the movie
The Freediver.
Career
Danai
Varveri a student at the University of Thessaloniki
, became interested in free diving when she joined
BIOS, a Greek, non-profit underwater conservation organization,
which was founded in 1995, by Alkiviades David, President and CEO of
CommerceKey.com Inc. and Kostas
Thoctarides, a professional wreck diver, represents Greece at
the Washington
DC
based Center For Marine Conservation.
In
October 4,
1999 the
20-year-old physical education student, succeeded in her dramatic
attempt to dive 40 meters (132 feet) below the surface of the sea,
and return safely. The totally unassisted, "natural dive," part of
a mission to raise awareness of seabed contamination, was
accomplished without the use of weights, fins or mask and was the
first in its category to be sanctioned by the Greek Commission of
the sports governing body.
She was trained by Dr. Nikolas Trikilis MD, a
specialist in underwater and hyperbaric medicine with the
University of Iraklio
in Crete
, was
formerly a member of the team of doctors working with free diving
legend, Jacques Mayol. The
event was planned to help raise awareness of underwater
contamination as part of a larger seabed cleanup project conducted
by the Greek, non-profit underwater conservation organization,
BIOS. Since May of
1999, Varveri had actively
participated in various BIOS organized underwater cleanup projects,
which often involve as many as 170 divers at one time. The dive,
was captured using underwater video cameras and can be viewed via
streaming video by visiting
Scubaman.
Six years later Danai, now married and has a two year old daughter,
picked up diving once more.
The 26 year old physical education teacher,
again achieved under the guidance of Dr. Trikilis in breaking the
women's natural weight free
diving record, which was also held by Varveri, during the 1st
Diving Festival on the island of Kalymnos
.
Currently
Danai resides in Veria
.
Records
Trivia
External links
Wikis
Map
Search
