FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Annabel Edwards Sets New Top Mark at US National Freediving Championships

Kona, Hawaii.  United States Apnea Association, USAA, is pleased to announce that Annabel Edwards of Kona, Hawaii has set a new US National Record in Dynamic Apnea with Fins.  Annabel’s swim of 143 meters / 469 feet while holding her breath took place during the US National Freediving Championships at the community pool in Kona, Hawaii. 

US National Freediving Championships is a four-day event taking place in the ocean and pool in Kona, Hawaii from April 22 through 25, 2010.  The event consisted of two days of ocean diving and two days of pool performances. 

Bel’s swim took place on the last day of the event.  She was both athlete and one of the organizers of the event.  Bel said, " Just organizing any competition is hard enough but the problems that had to be solved, with lots of help from the safety divers and boat captain, took a lot out of me. Then I had to recover from the black out of the first day. So I don't really know how I pulled off a big dynamic swim on the last day, I took what rest I could and the Russian fin takes very little energy to use. I just kept my focus, a positive attitude, and paid close attention to how I felt during the dive and came up with more left in me.." 

Bel’s swim took almost three minutes and was the biggest swim in the competition.  She is 58 years old and is beating athletes more than half her age.  She has held multiple world records in the past and is one of the only athletes to do so while over fifty.  

Freediving is a sport where athletes are capable of participating for life.  The US has athletes at the top of the sport at all ages; the oldest is well over seventy.  The low impact nature of the sport makes it perfect for the very young as well; allowing exploration of the oceans and the athlete’s inner connection of mind and body in a healthy and dynamic way. 

Dynamic Apnea is performed by swimming with fins or a monofin in a pool with the athlete holding their breath swimming as far as they can.  Distance is measured with the use of a metered tape measure.

The USAA is a nonprofit association founded on the democratic representation of freediving within the United States and internationally.  Founded in 2003, the USAA consists of an active membership dedicated to furthering freediving in the United States and abroad. For more information about the USAA, the U.S. National Freediving Team, and membership please visit www.usfreediving.org.

The International Association for the Development of Freediving, AIDA, is the international sanctioning body for freediving, individual and team competition, and freediving world record attempts.  For more information about AIDA please visit http://www.aidainternational.org.
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Images available upon request.

Contact Information:

Grant W. Graves, President
United States Apnea Association, USAA

3642 Seahorn Dr.
Malibu, CA 90265
Email: makog@aol.com
Phone: 310-560-6104

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