#Women's Day | Meet Marine Simonis !

Où êtes vous basée ?

Hello! I'm a Belgian freediver who moved to Nice to be able to combine my work (physiotherapist) and freediving.

What is your sea-related activity?

On a trip 4 years ago, I entered an apnea shop for the first time. The instructor told me we could go down to 10 meters on the first day. I didn't understand how that was physically possible. In the end, I didn't start freediving that day, but a few months later, after having gone through scuba diving.

And what a revelation it was.

What does it involve?

Freediving allows you to really witness everything that's going on beneath the surface, much more so than in a tank. You don't scare the creatures, you don't emit bubbles, you don't make noise. Only the clatter of the sea and its inhabitants accompany you. For a moment, you feel part of it. Then the need to breathe pulls you back up.

How is the sea a source of well-being for you?

In addition to discovering the ocean depths, line snorkeling also allows you to refocus on yourself and observe all the changes, sometimes minimal, that take place in your body. You're really in tune with your sensations. Sometimes all goes well, and diving brings even greater serenity and relaxation. Sometimes, you realize that you're diving with your head not quite clear, and sorting things out is more complicated. But in any case, freediving has taught me an enormous amount about myself, and has also given me an ecological awareness, even if it's imperfect and there's always room for improvement.