'Mental strength, belief' key elements for success: Turkey's record-holder diver

By Talip Demirci

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) – A Turkish record-holder athlete, Sahika Ercumen, on Thursday revealed the formula of success in diving; mental power and belief.

Ercumen told Anadolu Agency that she can hold her breath for a long time underwater thanks to her iron will as she recently set a new world record in freediving category.

The Turkish diver broke the world record at variable weight freediving without using breathing on Tuesday.

Ercumen managed to complete 100-meter diving in 2 minutes and 53 seconds in offshore Kas, Turkey's Mediterranean province of Antalya.

She said she was also without her swim fins and dived into 100 meters with the help of a weight but then reached the sea surface, gripping a rope, which was a hard objective to accomplish.

Ercumen previously dedicated her success to Turkish soldiers and the 98th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey that has started to be celebrated Thursday afternoon.

The 36-year-old athlete said she first focuses on fitness workouts and then does diving exercises to improve her swim when a professional event, such as Tuesday's record attempt, approaches.

The Turkish diver stated that she did not train for nearly two years due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as she previously tested positive for the virus.

Ercumen said that the disease frightened her so much as she suffers from asthma.

"I thought my sports career was over (when she started workouts). It was very hard but I adjusted myself very quickly after several training sessions. And I took my best degrees in a short time."

She asserted that the mental power and belief are the key factors for success.

"Diving is a sporting branch that requires mental strength and belief. If you do not believe in yourself and your mind is not ready, it is not easy to stay underwater without breathing for so much time," she explained.

People "get into a panic when they are short of breath," said the record-holder diver, but when she dives into water, she feels like at home and that is why she is successful.

Ercumen, who is also a diet expert, was named Turkey's life below water advocate by UN Development Programme in 2020 to raise environmental awareness.

In 2019, she was part of Turkey's Antarctic science expedition team to travel to the frozen continent, one of the unique experiences for an athlete.

Ercumen dived without an air tank in Antarctica.

* Writing by Can Erozden