Not many people will know, but there is a thriving community of talented divers who take part in the exciting sport of Freediving and train here in Stockport, at Life Leisure’s Grand Central Pools.
Records are being broken by competitive local Freedivers as they strive to push their limits further and there is a UK record about to be attempted by Rebecca Coales here in Stockport on Sunday 6th July.
Freediving is about being able to explore and enjoy the underwater world in a natural and harmonious way. Many Freedivers take part purely on a recreational basis, but it is also a competitive sport with pool records a focus for many elite athletes. Two new Freediving pool records have just been broken by local athletes who train at Grand Central, John Moorcroft and Mike Benke who are both members of the Apneists UK Club.
The records were broken at the Manchester Freediving Pool competition organised by Apneists UK, which is headed up by Steve Millard. The event was a choice of three disciplines. Breath hold lying face down (STA), swimming horizontally with fins (DYN), and swimming horizontally without fins (DNF). John Moorcroft achieved 167metres DNF (UK record) and Mike Benke 165metres DYN (Hungarian record). The breath hold times for these distances are over 3 minutes, the static breath holds are often in excess of 5 or 6 minutes in local competitions, sometimes more.
The latest exciting news is that Rebecca Coales, current UK Freedive Pool Champion who was born in Stockport, but currently living in Bristol, is returning to her home town and Grand Central to attempt a new UK Dynamic with fins (DYN) record. She will be swimming as far as possible underwater with fins and without breathing apparatus. If she succeeds and swims further than 175m underwater without breathing she will add the DYN UK record to her own current record of DNF 145 metres.
Steve Millard, Apneists UK Head Coach who trains Rebecca explains more, “Rebecca is confident and really wants to break the UK record and I believe she can. Preparation is hugely important; Rebecca will have to get into the correct state of mind and body to attempt the record. There is strict protocol to be adhered to so a record is never 100% guaranteed. Rebecca is an elite athlete, but we are finding more and more people of all ages taking up the sport for the health benefits and the sense of wellbeing and relaxation Freediving can bring.”
Kirsty Hockley, Senior General Manager at Life Leisure commented, “We are delighted that Rebecca is attempting to break the UK record here at Grand Central, our 50metre pool is perfect for her requirements and we wish her every success on the 6th July”.
Grand Central is home to Stockport’s only 50m swimming pool and to Stockport Metro, the UK’s most successful swimming club.
For more information and details about Grand Central visit www.lifeleisure.net or call Life Leisure on 0161 482 0900. For information about getting involved with Freediving contact Steve Millard on 07940 998915 or visit www.learn2freedive.com