Nataliia Zharkova (born on January 24th, 1989) in Kharkiv, Ukraine is a 2017 freediving champion of Europe and Ukraine. Nataliia holds multiple records in the discipline of freediving. She also is a freediving runner-up champion of the world, 2013. She is the first Ukrainian and the second woman to ever dive below the arch of the Blue Hole vertical underwater cave in Dahab, Egypt on a single breath.
Nataliia started swimming at the age of 7 when her parents introduced her to swimming in order to alleviate her spine medical condition. In his months she would be accepted in the school of Olympic Reserve of Ukraine where she spent a total of 10 years.
In 2008 Nataliia gets introduced to freediving and begins active training.
Photo credit: Anna Markel I didn't have to change myself alot: psychologically I'm more of a freediver than swimmer. On the other hand, I would've had to change myself alot to become a good swimmer. Perhaps, the difference in mentality is what prevented me from achieving better results in swimming: a classic swimmer's mentality expects extreme competitiveness - you have to "eat your opponents alive", win at all costs. This was my impression of the mentality at the time.
If I were to start swimming after doing freediving, I would have possess an understanding how to be the best among other swimmer, but not necessarily their adversary - apnea diving teaches you that.
Perhaps, I lacked anger as a teenager. I performed decently as a swimmer, but didn't have the urge to prove I'm the best there is. As a matter of fact, this trait of character would impede me in freediving: this sport does not allow proving anything to anyone with an exception of proving yourself that you're better today than you were yesterday. — http://shedreams.ru/nataliia-zharkova
Ukraine's first team world championship participation, event was held in Nice, France. Nataliia represented Ukraine along with Alexander Bubenchikov and Valentin Kuznetsov. Men's team has taken 14th place out of a total of 30. Nataliia updated her previous national records and took 5th place in the world rating.
In 2017 Nataliia won 2 gold and a bronze medals at Championship of Europe held at Kaş, Turkey. She set 2 new World Records according to CMAS. All immersions of that championship were filmed with the Dive Eye underwater drone.
On the podium: Alessia Zecchini (Italy), Nataliia Zharkova (Ukraine), Mirela Kardasevic (Croatia). Kaş, Turkey, 2017. Photo credit: Darya Muzykantova
Currently Nataliia is a master Instructor at AIDA International, instructor (Emergency First Response-EFR). She is a chairman of the Freediving committee at UFUA (Ukrainian Federation of Underwater Activities) and is a member of the CMAS international committee. She is an author of multiple training programs and a coach in Deep Division freediving school in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Nataliia conducts trainings in warm climate locations, most notably in Dahab, Egypt and actively prepares for upcoming competitions.
On the 27th of October 2016 Nataliia Zharkova became the first Ukrainian and the second woman in the world (after Natalia Molchanova) to dive through an underwater vertical cave known as Blue Hole on a single breath. Nataliia immersed to a depth of 56 meters and then swam 30 meters under the arch.
Ukraine
