Danai Varveri ( el, Δανάη Βαρβέρη; Δανάης Βαρβέρη) is a
Greek freediver
Freediving, free-diving, free diving, breath-hold diving, or skin diving is a form of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus such as scuba gear.
Besides the limits of breath- ...
,
[ 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
Spetses ( el, Σπέτσες, grc, Πιτυούσσα "Pityussa", Arvanitika: Πετσε̱) is an upscale affluent island in Attica, Greece. It is included as one of the Saronic Islands. Until 1948, it was part of the old prefecture of Argolis ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, 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
''The Freediver'' is a 2004 British drama film written and directed by Alki David.
http://www.deeperblue.com/review-the-freediver-movie/
Cast
* Alki David - Hector
* Adam Baldwin - Dr. Viades
* Camilla Rutherford - Danai
* Dominique Swain - M ...
''.
Career
Danai Varveri a student at the University of Thessaloniki
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, 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
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
based Center For Marine Conservation.
On 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
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Ar ...
in Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
, 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 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 visitin
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
Kalymnos ( el, Κάλυμνος) is a Greek island and municipality in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Dodecanese island chain, between the islands of Kos (south, at a distance of ) and Leros (north, at a distance of less than ): t ...
. Currently Danai resides in Veria.
Records
* Natural Weight (Nature Apnea), -40m, Spetses
Spetses ( el, Σπέτσες, grc, Πιτυούσσα "Pityussa", Arvanitika: Πετσε̱) is an upscale affluent island in Attica, Greece. It is included as one of the Saronic Islands. Until 1948, it was part of the old prefecture of Argolis ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, 1999
Trivia
* The 2004 movie ''The Freediver
''The Freediver'' is a 2004 British drama film written and directed by Alki David.
http://www.deeperblue.com/review-the-freediver-movie/
Cast
* Alki David - Hector
* Adam Baldwin - Dr. Viades
* Camilla Rutherford - Danai
* Dominique Swain - M ...
'', directed by Alki David, was based on Danai's story. Camilla Rutherford was cast in the role of ''Danai Varveri''.[
]
References
External links
* https://danaevarveri.wixsite.com/danaecv
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varveri, Danai
1979 births
Living people
Greek freedivers
Greek sportswomen
Sportspeople from Central Macedonia