The Australian Freediving Association is proud to announce that the first Women’s Free Immersion National Record has been set by Louise Dixon. On Saturday 9th February in the 2008 Andaman Freedive Challenge held in Ko Lanta in Thailand, Louise dived to a depth of 30m on a single breath to claim the record. In her debut into competitive freediving, this record is made all the more remarkable by the fact that Louise had only started freediving 5 days before the competition.
Although Dixon, 34, has not been freediving for long, it seems that the activity was pre-programmed into her destiny. With both parents keen skindivers, she started swim lessons when she was 3, and from a very early age showed signs of growing into a freediver by having competitions in the backyard pool with her brother, supervised by mum and dad. For the last 3 years she has been a scuba instructor diving in the Red Sea, Thailand and Malaysia. Whilst guiding a group scuba diving in the Blue Hole in Egypt, the freediving bug claimed her again when a group of freedivers were diving nearby. “I remember being completely entranced by their graceful movement – streamlined and controlled. I loved to hang for a little while and watch them.” And the rest, as they say is history.
Australian women’s competitive freediving has been a little quiet for the last few years, however 2008 has already seen 2 Australian women competing internationally. Christina Nicholas also competed in the Andaman Challenge and whilst she showed a natural talent in training, she was struck with equalisation problems and could not complete her dives.
Between Christina and Louise, women’s freediving in Australia is certainly shaping up to find its mark in 2008.
PRESS RELEASE RECEIVED BY BEN NOBLE, MEDIA OFFICER, FREEDIVING ASSOCIATION
