People who try to tame nature in one way or another, know the dangers that such a thing hides. No one is made to take, for example, a dive, with one breath, at a depth of more than 90 meters.
Whoever does it, reaches his body to his limits and this is something that he knows. But it is the adrenaline that pushes them to do so. Even if they know that their life is in immediate danger. No matter how careful, no matter how experienced one is, one cannot be sure of the outcome of such a venture.
This preface was necessary but could also contain just one name: Natalia Molsanova.
The Russian diver could be the epitome of all that we described earlier. World champion with hundreds of distinctions and so many other records. And yet, this woman went for a swim with her son and a small group of people who shared the same passion and never came to the surface again.
No one knew (and probably will never know) what happened and the 53-year-old woman lost her life in such a tragic way. And this is exactly the mystery that grows her legend.
Sounds normal. A diver, drowned. A climber fell from the mountain. One who made a free fall was killed because his parachute did not open. But as normal as it sounds, it is so tragic every time a person who has dedicated his life to an activity, to lose his life in exactly this way. But that is exactly the charm of danger.
He was born on May 8 in Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, known in the West as Bashkortostan. Ρωσίας. Country but not independent. It is an area that deifies nature. It is built between the majestic Volga and the Ural Mountains that take your breath away.
Somehow Natalia started playing sports at an early age and especially with everything related to the water element.
When she reached the age of 20, however, she put an end to everything because she wanted to build her own family. She had two children. Alexei and Oxana.
The years passed and when her two children grew up, it was time for her to return to her second great love, the sea.
She was now 40 years old but that did not stop her from discovering free diving. The sport with which she will be introduced to world sports and will make her presence felt just two years after she starts…
2003 is the year that takes off Natalia Molsanova. Holds two national records in static apnea and dynamic apnea and a few months after this success sets a world record in dynamic apnea in matches held in Cyprus!
Until today he held the records in static apnea (the diver holds his breath for as long as possible having his airways submerged in a pool, open sea, lake or river) with 9 minutes and 2 seconds. He also holds the record for dynamic apnea (the diver swims underwater in a horizontal route in order to cover the longest possible distance without breaths) with 234 meters, the dynamic stillness without sandals with 160 meters at constant weights (the diver dives and emerges using his sandals or his sole without pulling the rope of the race and without changing the ballast he carries during his dive) with -101 meters, at constant weights without sandals with -69 meters and in free diving (the diver dives without the use of propulsion equipment and only pulling the rope of the race during the dive and ascent) with -91 meters which he achieved in races that took place in Kalamata!
All this and so much more that was not mentioned made many (among them some of the biggest names in sports) bow down to its greatness. It is indicative that Molsanova's biggest opponent has stated that "she was the greatest athlete that the field of free diving and it will probably hardly be better than this in the future!
Apart from the wet track, however, Molsanova also had many distinctions in the. University. He has a PhD in "Pedagogical Science", has written eight scientific texts and several training manuals for diving. At the same time, she was an associate professor at the Public University of Physical Education, Sports, Youth and Tourism of Russia.
On August 2, 2015, Natalia and some of her friends met at Ίμπιζα, the luxury Spanish tourist resort. All together in a boat they arrived off the island of Formentera. According to what had become known then, after they were having fun, Natalia would give free diving lessons to some of her friends.
Nothing foretold the tragedy that would follow. No one could have imagined what would happen. He was not trying to set a new record, nor would he do something he had never done before.
According to those present, Natalia Molsanova dived in order to reach 35 meters. Great depth but she had dived many times to depths twice and three times that. The weather was perfect. An ordinary August breakfast at Mediterranean.
Molsanova dived and everyone was waiting for her to come to the surface again in a few minutes. But this did not happen. Nobody knows what happened. No one will ever be able to answer all the questions that arise.
Her son and friends alerted the Spanish Coast Guard. Investigations began immediately and even an underwater robot was used. In vain. Her body was never found. On August 5, it was announced that she was considered dead.
"It seems he will stay at sea. I think she would like this end ", were the words of Alexei Molchanov, her beloved son, when everything was over.
