How do sports influence work life? Discover Elys’s story, free-diver

Not content with only professional challenges, in 2018 Elys set herself a more physical task. “During holidays in Phuket, Thailand, I went snorkeling with friends. I love the ocean, but at that time, I was extraordinarily nervous and afraid, unable to enjoy myself”, confides Elys. “The fear was so strong that I knew I had to do something about it. I started by taking a scuba-diving course, giving me the opportunity to get more comfortable in the ocean and discover my surroundings. The problem is, scuba divers, with the air bottles they use, blow bubbles which disturb marine fauna. I wanted more interaction with marine life with the minimum of impact, and that is when I discovered free-diving, where you dive without any equipment, just holding one long breath.” 

That was the start of a new passion, and Elys has gone from strength to strength in her free-diving career. Swimming up to 200 meters underwater in a pool, and going 80 meters deep in open waters, Elys has won 19 national awards from freediving pool and depth competitions. It is only a start for this sea enthusiast, who has now set her sights on wreck-diving, to reclaim a connection with history, and add a new dimension to her enduring love of the ocean: “In the water all you see is deep blue sea. It is amazing. It gives a new perspective, how human life is so small – and yet, through training, if you trust yourself, you can achieve anything.”