Natalia Zharkova: Freediving champ reaches greater depths as she sets new world records

Name: Natalia Zharkova
Age: 29
Education: Kharkiv National University of Construction and Architecture
Profession: athlete, architect
Did you know? Besides diving deep, Zharkova windsurfs and dreams of riding the big waves of Hawaii.

Natalia Zharkova, 29, is already an international star in the extreme sport of freediving, in which athletes dive to great depths without any equipment, using only the power of their lungs.

Zharkova set two world records this October at the CMAS Freediving World Championships in Kas, Turkey, diving to depths of 70 meters and 95 meters using only freediving fins.

“When diving to the depths, I’m concentrating completely on my body, holding my breath for an average of three minutes, which is equivalent to 6–7 minutes at rest,” Zharkova told the Kyiv Post.

Zharkova started swimming when she was 7, but initially her parents did not expect she would take up the sport professionally, even though her family was fond of sports. Her mother was a figure skater, and her father took part in athletics and track cycling events.

“Actually, it was my grandfather who supported me the most in all of my sports endeavors,” said Zharkova.

She stopped competitive swimming at 17, took a two-year break and decided to open a new chapter in her sports career — freediving.

Ten years later, Zharkova is a world champion, an instructor in high demand, and even owns a freediving school called Deep Division in her native city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, with a population of 1.4 million located 470 kilometers east of Kyiv.

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And Zharkova is not only a diver — she also has a master’s degree in architecture, which she received after graduating from Kharkiv National University of Construction and Architecture.

Her freediving school has already been open for two years, so far having taught around 50 people how to free dive. Over her entire career Zharkova has already trained some 1,000 divers worldwide.

“The age at which it is worth starting this sport is very important,” said Zharkova. “Freediving is not a sport for very young people, since when you’re 18 years old and you have a hot head, it will rather hinder you than help you.”

This sport requires self-discipline, body control and perseverance, the athlete said.

“You need to be able to take small steps forward every day instead of trying to run the whole distance in one day and then give up on the third day,” Zharkova said.