Back in my childhood and early teenage years, I used to rack up a lot of wins in dares at the pool of Letoonia Holiday Village in Fethiye, where my family had a summer home. People would look at my skinny frame and think, “This scrawny kid probably can’t even swim across the pool once, let alone back and forth. I’ve got this bet in the bag.” I don’t know the exact length of the pool, but I’d guess it was more than 50 meters — it was one of the main pools for both vacationers and resort guests.
Strangers who dared me would confidently challenge me in front of a crowd, unaware of who I really was. I’d dive in and swim across the entire pool and back underwater. What they didn’t know was that, at the time, I could hold my breath underwater for over six minutes — and actually felt more comfortable underwater while in motion. So not only could I make the round trip on a single breath, but I could’ve done a third lap as well.
A Cold Lemonade as a Reward
My biggest joy was using the small amount of money I won from those bets to go buy myself a cold lemonade. I’d sip it with pride, savoring it in the heat, knowing I’d earned it. What more could a 12- or 13-year-old want?
Those who think, “Wow, six minutes underwater is impressive,” might change their minds once they hear about the actual world record. Brace yourselves.
An Incredible Feat
Croatian freediver Vitomir Maricic officially entered the Guinness World Records by holding his breath underwater for 29 minutes and 3 seconds (see: https://www.sozcu.com.tr/hirvat-dalisci-rekorlar-kitabina-girdi-p185776). He set the record in a 3-meter-deep pool in the town of Opatija, Croatia.
The attempt was officially monitored by judges to ensure compliance with Guinness World Record standards. Maricic not only broke the record — he shattered it, surfacing after nearly half an hour underwater.
A Huge Leap from the Previous Record
The previous record was held by another Croatian athlete, Budimir Šobat, who in 2021 managed 24 minutes and 37 seconds. That means Maricic extended the record by roughly 4.5 minutes — a 20.5% increase — which pushed the bar to an almost unbelievable level. If someone in the future manages to take it past 30 minutes, that would be truly phenomenal.
If you read Vitomir Maricic’s background at https://vitomirmaricic.com/about/, you’ll find a story that, in many ways, mirrors all of our childhoods — and my own days in Fethiye. Here’s a quote from his story:
“Growing up in Croatia’s Kvarner region, constantly exposed to the sea, the salty skin became my second nature. I was a strange kid, easily lost in daydreams along the island’s shorelines on warm summer days. I quickly realized I could compete with my peers in terms of distance and depth. I enjoyed spending time underwater. With no concept of wet clothes or boundaries in my mind, this often led to frequent colds.”
Step by Step Toward Success
After discovering his talent and deciding to focus on freediving, his career quickly accelerated:
“In my first season, my training and competitions led me to distances that could have broken world records in training, though I couldn’t confirm them during competitions. Still, I made the national team and placed 5th in pool events, 4th in CMAS Europeans in depth. I became a NAUI freediving instructor. The following year I repeated strong performances, though still not in WR-status events. I became an AIDA instructor and joined the Molchanovs team. I placed 5th at the CMAS World Depth Championship, 3rd at the AIDA Pool Worlds. I took part in medical research at my university, aiming to better understand freediving-specific mechanisms. In my third season, I had three world records officially recognized by AIDA and CMAS. I also became AIDA Croatia President, an AIDA judge, and a Molchanovs Instructor Trainer, getting more involved in education and competition organization. By the end of my third season, I ranked 1st overall in the 2019 AIDA World Rankings.”
A Journey That Began Within
Maricic describes the five-year journey that led him to the breath-hold world record as follows:
“In 2020, at age 35, I decided to release myself again and dive inward to find peace, love, fulfillment, and harmony. After years of chasing winds, it was time to let them fill my sails and push me forward. Freediving has become and will remain — a key part of this path. It’s not an easy one, but it’s a wonderful experience and a lifelong journey.”
And then came the incredible world record. According to this article: https://www.croatiaweek.com/croatian-sets-incredible-new-world-breath-hold-record/, Croatian freediver Vitomir Maricic broke the Guinness World Record with a 29-minute, 3-second breath-hold in a 3-meter pool located in the lobby of the Bristol Hotel in Opatija.
Pure Oxygen Before the Dive
To stay underwater without breathing for nearly half an hour, Maricic inhaled pure oxygen for several minutes before the attempt — the dive itself was also conducted on pure oxygen.
The entire event was monitored by a five-person panel of judges and official timekeepers to ensure it met Guinness standards. Around a hundred spectators gathered in the hotel lobby to witness the extraordinary feat.
After breaking the record, Maricic said:
“Behind every record or achievement like this — no matter the scale — there is always a massive amount of teamwork, along with the support of family and friends. Without them, none of this would be possible.
Today’s dive was tough for me; yesterday’s training session felt much easier, but somehow, everything worked out. After the 20-minute mark, things got easier — at least mentally.”
As you can see, physical ability alone isn’t enough to push human limits. Mental strength plays a crucial role in achieving such an extraordinary record. Inner peace and support from one’s close circle are also essential.
Records Are Made to Be Broken
I’m always fascinated by records that push human boundaries, which is why I wanted to share this story with you. It’s also the reason I follow the Olympics with special interest — because in every individual event, the ultimate goal is to break an Olympic record.
Here’s hoping that this trend of smashing records continues across the board. And if some of those records happen to be broken by people from Turkey, it would bring me even greater joy.
In that spirit, let us remember and honor Naim Süleymanoğlu — a legend who rightfully earned the title of “The World’s Strongest Man” by lifting three times his body weight — with deep respect, admiration, and love.
May many more Naims rise from our homeland.
