Karoline Mariechen "Karol" Meyer (born October 19, 1968 in

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Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it List of Brazilian states by population, sev ...

) is a Brazilian

free-diver 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- ...

. She is a Guinness Book of World Records record holder for apnea free diving, with a dive of 121 m (328 ft) and another static record with O2 for 18 minutes and 32 seconds.

Career

Meyer began diving during childhood. She became a competitive freediver in 1998. She has gone on to hold 8 world records, 2 Pan-American Records, 30 South American records, and 6 national records. She has also won several international competitions representing Brazil. Meyer became the first and only Brazilian woman athlete to achieve world records, and the first athlete in the freediving world to break a world record during an official free diving competition, according to Rank Brasil. During her career, Meyer collect 13 victories in international events and 7 victories in national events. She achieved one of the deepest shipwreck dives in the world at

Fernando de Noronha Fernando de Noronha () is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, and located off the Brazilian coast. It consists of 21 islands and islets, extending over an area of . Only the eponymous main island is in ...

, diving 63 meters to reach the ''Corveta Ipiranga''. In addition to competitions, Meyer is Yoga teacher and also freediving Instructor Trainer and Official Judge

AIDA ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...

, PADI and NAUI. Homaged with 2 international awards as the Best Coach and Best Instrutor in the world, by Icare Trophye and recently by SUUNTO/ AIDA - International Association to Apnea Development. Meyer is also speaker at companies, as well as at boat and dive shows, and she is also a columnist/writer for several magazines. In 2016 was selected to participate in the women's cycling team of Avai, being currently the 6th best cycling athlete by the National Ranking of the Brazilian Cycling Confederation, Elite category.

Charity work

Besides freediving, Meyer contributes toward fundraising for needy communities, public schools. She supports programmes against child labour, and advocated for children who live in front of the sea and have parents whose income depends directly on the sea. Meyer works with the Brazilian Islands Society and other entities to protect whales, especially Franca whales. She also contributes to the Franca Whale Project, the Tamar Project, Gouliath Groupers Brazilian Preservation and SeaShepherd as Sea Ambassador.

Records

The following are some of Meyer's records:

World

*Skandalopetra (CMAS): 68,9m, Bonaire 2012 *Static Apnea with pure oxygen (Guinness): 18 minutes, 32 seconds *No Limits Tandem: 121m *Skandalopetra (CMAS): 61,5m *Female No Limits Tandem: 91m *Static Apnea: 5'49" *Static Apnea: 6'02 (first record done in competition) *Static Apnea: 6'13"

Continental

*Static Apnea: 7'18"

South American

*Variable Ballast: 93m *Dynamic Apnea without fins: 113m (pb)

National

*Absolute Record and best South American No Limits: 100m *Absolute Record and South American Free Immersion: 68m *Dynamic Apnea with fins: 153m (pb) *Constant Weight: 71m (pb regional)

Awards

Meyer has been an international top 10 athlete as voted by the AIDA for the past 15 years.http://www.aidainternational.org/competitive/ranking She was honored by Caixa as one of the "Women who transform the world". ''GoOutside Magazine'' elected her as Best Adventurer in 2006 and 2010. Icare Trophie awarded Meyer “Best Female Freediver" in 2007 and "Best Coach" in 2006. Other awards earned by Meyer include the following: * Guinness Book Record Holder 2011 * Medal Julio De Lamare 2008 - Brazilian Aquatic Federation * International Trophie - "World's Absolute Freediver Awards" * International Trophie - "Special ICARE" pela completa carreira no esporte * Award Personality of the Year 2000/2001 - ''Mergulho Magazine'' * Rank Brasil trophie

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Karol Brazilian freedivers Living people 1968 births