Turkish national athlete Sahika Ercumen broke her own world record during a special dive into the Mediterranean to show her solidarity with the long-suffering people of Gaza.
Ercumen, a multiple world record holder, reached a depth of 107 metres (351 feet) in a single breath, surpassing her previous impressive record of 106 metres (348 feet) in the variable weight no fins category on Friday.
The dive in Antalya, one of the jewels of the Turkish Riviera, was completed in 3 minutes and 21 seconds, and was dedicated to raising awareness and compassion under the slogan “Let Gaza Breathe, Let the Darkness Turn to Light.”
After surfacing, Ercumen and her team displayed Turkish and Palestinian flags, along with a sign saying “Let Gaza Breathe” and also one marking the 102nd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
Ercumen, who previously dedicated several record attempts to other worthy humanitarian causes, said she wanted to use this achievement to draw attention to the ongoing suffering in Gaza – which has faced years of war and an oppressive blockade – and to deliver a message of hope and solidarity.
‘A different kind of excitement’
After the dive, Ercumen told Anadolu that although she has been a national athlete for years and competed in many world championships, breaking numerous records, this attempt felt uniquely emotional.
“Everything was down to the wire,” she said, adding that her team supported her tremendously.
“I didn’t want to let them down. I think my heart rate was around 120 when I went in. But now I feel like a huge weight has been lifted,” she said.
“Representing my country as a national athlete is deeply meaningful to me,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed with emotion because not only did we bring a world record to Türkiye, but we also managed to deliver a message from our country to the whole world.”
The champion diver also said she dedicated the world record to the 102nd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, which was founded in 1923.
“Exactly ten years ago, during another record attempt, the timing coincided with (another) period of conflict in Gaza,” she said. “Back then, we said, ‘Let Gaza breathe’.”
‘It’s like to not breathe’
“Many years have passed since. I now hope that this peace process becomes permanent,” she said, referring to the recent ceasefire agreement.
“I wanted to hold my breath in the water for Gaza so they could breathe,” she said. “For I know very well what it feels like not to breathe for minutes, and they have been subjected to this oppression for far too long.”
“So we wanted to send a message to the world: Let Gaza breathe,” she underlined.
Calling the preparation process for the dive “hard to describe,” Ercumen said: “This year was a very difficult one for me.”
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“I competed in the world championships; it was a tough tournament,” she explained, referring to last month’s CMAS World Championship in Greece.
“When we came here, we faced a storm. A few of our training sessions were cancelled. Even though I wasn’t able to prepare as well as I wanted, we still did our best,” she added.
She also said: “I had an amazing team, and my supporters really motivated me. Despite the difficult conditions, we broke the record.”
