 |
MIAMI-August 17, 2002- A new
Freediving World Record has been set today in the waters
of Club Med Turkoise in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.
World Champion Freediver, Tanya Streeter, reached her
goal depth of 160m/525ft in a total dive time of 3 minutes
and 26 seconds. This dive shatters the previous women's
No Limits World Record held by Canadian, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank
(136m/446ft) and even surpasses the men's No Limits World
Record of 154m/505ft held by Frenchman, Loic LeFerme.
Streeter has clearly shown her determination and passion
to prove her psychological and physiological endurance
capabilities by redefining her limits! |
The dive was officiated by two representatives of Freediving's
governing body A.I.D.A.(Association Internationale pour le Developement
d'Apnée) who verified that the record was carried out
in strict accordance with the No Limits regulations. Streeter
also submitted to a test for banned and controlled substances
as determined by the International Olympic Committiee.
"This was a great day for everyone involved because we
have had the chance to do something truly unique in the best
possible conditions," commented Streeter. "Working
so closely with Club Med, the Turks and Caicos Tourism Board
and Red Bull has been a pleasure and an honor for me as an athlete.
Sponsors are crucial to success and the success we had today
is important for the future of Freediving." She reflected
that the dive was "an amazing experience that I will never
forget." She continued, "At the bottom, I blew a kiss
to the ocean, for the gifts it has given me."
Streeter has reflected the true meaning of Club Med spirit;
having fun while accomplishing a goal! As seen on her site www.redefineyourlimits.com,
Streeter has kept a detailed journal of her daily accounts with
the ocean, her trainings, her social experiences, and especially
her triumphs on her dives and the Club Med trapeze. She gave
detailed descriptions about the sport and the equipment required
as well as introducing her team and sponsors. Besides her training
regime which included stretching and breathing exercises during
sunset, Streeter also swam just like a mermaid in the crystal
blue waters of Turks and Caicos and shared her Freediving experiences
with guests of Club Med Turkoise during weekly presentations.
| The Turks and Caicos Tourism
Board also showed Streeter and her team the beauty of
its Islands. She was able to go on excursions with Big
Blue Unlimited (an eco-diving adventure business) and
visit O2 Technical Diving, who provided gas blending services
to her deep safety team. She also visited luxurious Parrot
Cay. "The Turks and Caicos Islands is known for being
one of the best diving destinations in the world and we
have been delighted to work with Club Med Turkoise, the
first resort on the Islands," commented John Skippings,
director of the Tourism Board and official co-sponsor
of the Freediving World Record. "We are proud of
Tanya Streeter and her record-breaking achievement in
the clear bluewaters that surround our Islands "
|
 |
EDITOR'S NOTES
With just a single breath of air from the surface, Streeter
descended down an officially measured dive rope on a weighted
sled. Upon arriving at her target depth, she manually inflated
a liftbag that brought her back to the surface. Pairs of safety
divers were situated at 80m/262ft, 110m/360ft and 140m/459ft
breathing specially blended mixed gasses, together with a
pair of scuba divers at the surface and a pair at 40m/131ft.
In addition to being fully equipped for their own safety as
well as Tanya's, the divers carried metal rods, which they
banged together at predetermined depths to let Tanya know
exactly what depth she was at during the dive. Tanya completed
approximately 10 training dives in the last 3 weeks during
her stay at Club Med Turkoise, Turks and Caicos, each getting
gradually deeper towards her goal.
Born in the Cayman Islands, Tanya Streeter was educated in
one of the most prominent girl's schools in Great Britain,
Roedean. She discovered her love of Freediving in late 1997
when accompanying male friends who were spear fishing and
complimented her on her natural ability. After twice beating
men's world records in two Freediving disciplines, Streeter
began to investigate the science behind the sport and was
determined to train herself physically and mentally to continuously
prove the natural aquatic abilities of mankind. Together with
research dives made at Northwest Emergency Recompression Unit
in England, and cardio/neuro physiological studies done at
Oxford University, the record dive was filmed as part of a
documentary series "Extraordinary People" for Channel
5 in the United Kingdom and other American network television.
Streeter now lives in Austin, Texas with loving husband and
supportive manager, Paul Streeter. Sponsored by Red Bull,
the leader in the energy drink category and The Turks and
Caicos Islands Tourism Board, Streeter has showed all of us
her strength of mind and body at Club Med Turkoise, Turks
and Caicos.
About Turks and Caicos
The 40 islands of the Turks and Caicos, of which eight are
inhabited are renowned for their award-winning beaches, diving,
fishing and array of first-class resorts and spas. There are
3 daily 75 minute flights from Miami, weekly flights from
New York, 1 weekly flight from Boston and a 4 times a week
flight with US Airways direct from Charlotte which starts
November 2.
Turks and Caicos Tourism Board website is www.turksandcaicostourism.com
About Club Med
Club Med is a specialist in all-inclusive vacations, with
villages in exotic locations in more than 40 countries worldwide,
including the U.S., the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and
Asia. Club Med hosts over two million guests annually and
offers its guests the best vacation value. Club Med's first-rate
amenities include a variety of leisure, sports (with different
levels of instruction), educational and recreational activities,
as well as international cuisine, all at your leisure.
|
