Name: Tanya Streeter
Nationality: American/British/Caymanian – Holds Passports for all three countries
Age: 28 years
Why did you become involved in freediving? I’ve been in the water all my life. I guess I always dived a little deeper than the other kids when I was younger.
How often do you train? It depends – If I am attempting a record – I train 6 days maybe more. When in off-season, not at all.
What is a typical day for you in your training routine – without divulging any special techniques that you don’t feel comfortable revealing? Did not answer due to variations in her training based upon the specific discipline she is training for.
Do you have any special dietary needs or preferences that you feel helps your training? Nothing special, although I do admit a strong weakness for the family size bag of Doritos… On a daily basis!
Do you have any recommendations regarding this topic? I don’t do anything out of the ordinary. I take a multivitamin, Vitamin C and Echinacea due to the high amount of stress involved in the sport of freediving. That being that stress breaks the immunity system down and if I get a cold right before the attempt – I’m screwed. But I usually quit taking these a week before the actual record attempt. Since I was the first diver to willingly submit to drug testing before and after a record attempt, I am too paranoid that something like a filler in a vitamin could be on the B list of banned substances.
Where do you mainly train – i.e.; pool, open water, etc. Again this depends on what record I am training for. I do typically go to the location that the record attempt will be made and train there for several weeks before hand.
What is your favorite discipline in the sport of freediving? It depends as well. If I am training for the Constant Ballast record, I have no desire to look at a sled, and vice versa. So it really depends on where I am in my training, and for what record.
What is the most memorable dive or attempt that you have had – positive or negative? Positive – Diving with Humpback whales while training in Guadalupe earlier this year (2001) for my record attempt. Negative – Diving in a 7mm suit in New Zealand during the winter. That was the first time in 4 years that I ever blacked out.
What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in the sport of freediving? Why do you want to freedive? I would then recommend that they learn from a qualified freedive instructor and dive with a buddy who has enough experience to handle the new diver, and still has the same interests for wanting to freedive as well.
What do you do outside of the sport? I am a homebody – I love watering my lawn, which is dying here in Austin, Texas. My husband Paul says I do the "Sprinkler Dance" I am so particular about it getting all watered that I usually end up soaked after I am finished. I also love working in my garden.
