Monday, December 2, 2024
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Guillaume Néry Sets New Freediving Record for France

Guillaume Néry has done it again. Just this past week, the leader of the “French Mafia” set a new national record (NR) for France under constant ballast. Competing at the 6th annual Med Cup in Greece, Guillaume Néry delivered a successful constant weight (CWT) dive to 124 meters with a dive time of three minutes and :20 seconds.

No one is surprised to see Néry achieving these amazing depths. The world champion is considered to be one of the world’s best freediving athletes – demonstrating a style and physical grace most others aspire to. In terms of his capabilities, Guillaume embodies a conservative discipline and mental focus that has propelled him forward, deeper — where others have failed. Néry also credits his friends and teammates, the “French Mafia” with giving him the unfaltering support he needs to succeed, as he shares in his blog:

“As far as we, the Frenchies gang, are concerned, we respect a deep-rooted tradition of sharing what we intend to do with our closest ones. When the thing to do becomes obvious, we all share the same intuition, and concur to the athlete’s decision without dithering long. The first people I discuss with are the friends who are here with me, freedivers as well, and who know me very well. Rémy Dubern, my room-mate here, and more importantly with whom I shared 95% of my training sessions in Nice – biking, swimming, lifting weights; and with Alice Modolo, who  has been selected in the national team since 2009, with whom I shared the three last World Championships and who knows me very well as well. Both are here in Mirtos, share everything first hand, see how I feel everyday and are receptive to the slightest mood shift or change in the level of my commitment.

Then my privileged advisors take their precious share of the decision-making process: Morgan Bourc’his – he holds the CNF french record (-88m), shared with me the last seven World Championships and last Vertical Blue in 2012 (when I broke my personal record with -123m), and, above all, is a friend I can rely upon. Christophe Lyonnard – he has been my personal trainer for the last two years; Cyril Paulet – as the French national team coach since 2006 he knows how I think and how to deal with me.

Needless to say I always consult Julie, my soul mate, who has been sharing my life for eight years. With her more external appreciation of the situation she embraces more of it. I completely open my heart to her without the slightest restraint. The way she sees things is often sharp and accurate.

Néry is on a journey to recoup the World Record in constant weight – attempting an astonishing 127 meters just a day after establishing the new French record at 124m. Guillaume made an extraordinary dive but was not able to deliver a clean surface protocol. “I went at -127m, I came back at the surface, and after two to three breaths, I had a very short black out… he announced to his supporters. What will be my next dives’ keys to success? To let go, to slow down the turbulent flow of my thoughts on my way down. Feeling at peace, deeply anchored inside the self, frees us from our enslaving almighty mind. It is easier written than done.”

But Néry takes these lessons in stride and always remembers to have fun, as evidenced by his disco deco video below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yiiX3k7MEeA]

photo © daan verhoeven

Francesca Koe
Francesca Koehttps://www.deeperblue.com/
An active ocean advocate, VP of U.S. Freediving, a multi-agency dive instructor, PFI Safety Supervisor and AIDA judge, Francesca also serves as the Editor-At-Large here at DeeperBlue.com. You can usually find Francesca diving in the kelp, hanging out at the Farallones with sharky friends, or trying to improve upon her own PB's.

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