I feel like no one ever shows the real grind. Most freediving videos online show the perfect resultā¦ someone hitting insane depths or holding their breath for minutes. But what you donāt see are the hundreds of repetitions, the failures, the small breakdowns, the suffocation, and the days you want to quit.
I spent hours every day in the pool, the open sea, and on dry land, doing the same drills, failing, resetting, going again. Training my tolerance, fighting the urge to surface, teaching my mind to stay calm when every cell screams for air. Itās physical, biological, but also insanely mental.
In just 2 months, I went from beginner to hitting 5 minutes. Thatās thanks to relentless consistency, a holistic and safety-first coaching approach, and being stubborn as hell.
Thank you @freedivinguae for kicking my ass & training me to reach my goals.
This is the reality: If you want to achieve something extraordinary, you have to be willing to put in the work when no one is watching.
#Freediving #freediver #freedivinguae #freedivers #freedivingdubai #onebreath #breathhold #aidafreediving #staticapnea #angelsofthesea #staticapneatraining #extremsport #depth #dynamicapnea #pooltraining #underwater #girlswhofreedive
30 years ago I was born in Algeria. 30 years later I broke a national record for Algeria š¤
I lived through being a refugee in Germany, foster homes, and homelessness. I rebuilt myself through modeling, became a Playboy Playmate, studied photography, and traveled the world ..
because giving up on myself was never an option.
What I lacked were role models. Representation.
For years I didnāt know I could do better. I felt disconnected from my country, from belonging, from having a place in the world.
But yesterday, on my 30th birthday, I broke the national record in static apnea for the country I was born in 30 years ago. A full circle moment!
This record is proof that survival can turn into strength, that struggle can turn into beauty, that a girl with no role models can become one.
This is just the beginning. For me. For Algeria. For every woman who has ever been told she couldnāt.
You can. No matter where you come from, no matter your past!
A big thanks to @freedivinguae , @apnea.pirates & @aidafreediving for making this possible!
A special thanks to my coach for supporting me, training me hard & always believing in me! I know I wasnāt always easy šš
Also a huge thanks to judges, safety team & everyone else who came to cheer for me & congratulated me ā¤ļøāš„
Congrats to my fellow athletes who took part yesterday at the competition & exceeded with great results!
I only feel love ā¤ļø
The last two months taught me that discipline is not punishment.
I figured out itās the highest devotion to your future self.
I showed up for my body, my mind, my training, my recovery. I did things that used to scare me. I chose movement, sun, air, water, love, and self-respect again and again.
And life rewarded me beautifully.
And no, things didnāt go perfectly, they really didnāt. So many things that you wouldnāt see on social media.
There were setbacks, injuries, fear, tears, pain, frustration, and moments where my plans fell apart. But I learned not to dwell too long. Not to turn every setback into self hate.
Adjust. Redirect. Keep your momentum.
From holding my breath in the pool while explosions above my head, to an ear injury before competition, to showing up at Muay Thai feeling small, slow, and embarrassed, uncertaintyā¦.I kept going.
And after weeks of struggle, pain, sweat, insecurity, and doubt, I broke another national record.
But the real reward is this:
I feel more peaceful than Iāve ever felt in my life.
Stronger. Kinder. More grounded.
Itās becoming very hard to shake me.
INDIA, Varanasi 2025
Sometimes I photograph places known for their color
and strip the vibrance away to see what remains.
Iām drawn to bare human expressions and small interactions.
In black and white, they speak more clearly sometimes..
#documentaryphotography #streetphotographersmagazine #streetphotography #bwphotography #visualstorytelling #varanasi #india
I FEEL LIKE FLOATING IN THE UNIVERSE š
The deeper you go, the less you exist as a body.
You dissolve into the ocean ā¦into everything, into the universe itself. You become one with existence.
Video: @akimapnea
#freediving #freediver #freedivinggirls #algerianfreediver #girlsthatfreedive #underwaterworld
