The magic is underwater: meeting with freediving gold medallist Alessia Zecchini
She has 40 freediving world records to her credit and won the gold medal at the last World Outdoor Freediving Championships, but for the Italian champion, the joy of diving into the abyss is the same as the first time.
Alessia Zecchini detiene tre record del mondo su quattro discipline di apnea. L’ultimo, nel freediving, l’ha battuto arrivando a 113 metri durante la Coppa del Mondo di Profondità nelle acque delle Camotes Islands, nelle Filippine, lo scorso maggio. Un’immersione in assetto costante con le pinne che è durata 4 minuti e 3 secondi che ha significato anche il suo 40° record in carriera. Poi, nella stessa categoria, il 17 settembre ha vinto anche la medaglia d’oro ai Campionati Mondiali CMAS di Apnea Outdoor 2025 che si sono disputati a Mytikas, in Grecia, raggiungendo la profondità di -105 metri con un tuffo durato 3 minuti e 37 secondi. Nata a Roma nel 1992, l’apneista è anche friend of the brand di un marchio che, con la subacquea, ha una lunghissima tradizione: Seiko.
Why did you become a freediver? As a child, in order to obtain all my swimming school certificates, I had to go through a couple of tests involving a horizontal freediving section in a swimming pool: it was an exciting discovery. And then, as a child, the first time I swam with a sea turtle on the island of Zakynthos, Greece, was a dream. So, a bit of curiosity and a bit of a desire to find out how one could live underwater led me to take part in a freediving course. That's where it all started.
How important is record-breaking for you? Records are just goals. Every athlete must have them in order to train, motivate himself and push himself to the maximum every day. In the beginning, freediving attracted me because I saw continuous progress that didn't mean breaking a record, but improving. Over the years, improvement became the world record... Today, my main goal is to enjoy diving, give my best and be perfectly connected with the water and myself. If I succeed, breaking records is a consequence. The next one will be the one my opponents will have broken...
To go that deep and be surrounded by a wall of water: 99% of people would be terrified of that. I have never really understood why: the sea is a wonderful environment. Obviously I am trained and my body feels good in the water. Water is my element, it is the magical place that gives me a sense of peace and serenity.
What does your body communicate to you at those depths? Your body speaks to you in every situation and apnoea teaches you to listen to it. Underwater, if you don't, you risk hurting yourself or failing your performance.
