Professional swimmer Amber Fillary from South Africa has broken her own Guinness World Record for the longest swim under ice with breath held and no fins and diving suit. She achieved the new feat after two years of the first record by the swimming for 90 metres (295 ft 3 in) in Kongsberg, Viken, Norway on March 5, 2022.
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In 2020, in Oppsjø, Norway, she attempted the first record with a distance of 70 metres (229.659 ft).
According to the Guinness website, to prepare for this specific record, Amber went through breath-hold training at her local swimming pool, worked out in the gym, and did a little running. To get used to the cold, she relocated to Berlin for five days. Next, she moved to Norway where she started practicing by swimming in the same lake where she would later break the record.
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According to Amber, who is also an artist, her passion is water, and she expresses her love of it through sports and art.
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“Water calms me amidst my life struggles,” she said on her website.
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However, it has not been easy for her given she suffered from anorexia, bulimia and depression.
“Since the age of 15, I’ve battled with anorexia, bulimia and depression,” Amber shares on her website. “In my early twenties, spent mostly in rehab, I started to drink, overdose on medication and tried to commit suicide on several occasions,” she added.
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She documented her record journey with a video posted on Instagram with the caption, “Hold your breath with me while I swim a world record distance … it’s only going to take about two and a half minutes. Stay calm, don’t feel the cold, just stay in your head and hold your breath… come join me under the water.”
According to Guinness website, “Amber battled against relapse and fear by focusing on her next goal: beating yet another world record to become a positive inspiration for others”.
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