Stig Severinsen Danish swimmer, freediver, Guinness World Record holder for longest breath hold Country: Denmark

Biography of Stig Severinsen

Stig Severinsen is a Danish swimmer, freediver, and Guinness World Record holder for the longest breath hold. Born in 1973 in Aalborg, Denmark, Stig began his underwater experiments in childhood, swimming in the pool of his parents' house. He started competitive swimming at the age of 6 and became the national champion at the ages of 9, 10, 11, and 12.

During the period of 1993-2003, Severinsen actively participated in underwater rugby and was even a member of the Danish national team. While studying in Barcelona, Spain, Stig got interested in another rare sport, underwater hockey, and played for the Spanish team. It was during this time that he realized his ability to hold his breath and stay underwater much longer than regular people.

Deciding to focus on this skill, Stig became interested in yoga, and soon he became the owner of four AIDA Freediving World Records. In 2010, Severinsen entered the Guinness World Records by swimming 72 meters under a layer of ice without a wetsuit, wearing only swimming trunks. In the same year, he set another world record with a breath hold of 20 minutes.

Severinsen demonstrates something truly impossible as the main danger of prolonged breath hold is the disruption of brain function. Like other freedivers, Stig uses yoga, which allows him to hold his breath without harmful consequences for the body. Visitors to the tropical shark aquarium at the research center in Grenaa, Denmark, could see Stig peacefully sitting on the bottom of the aquarium for a long 20 minutes.

In May 2012, Stig broke his own record by staying underwater without oxygen for 22 minutes. In October 2013, he made headlines again by setting a new record for swimming under a layer of ice in cold water. Once again without a wetsuit, dressed only in swim trunks, Stig swam over 76 meters. He later told journalists that during such swims, he does not feel the cold or think about oxygen, as his whole body is focused on the task at hand.

Discovery Channel calls him "The Man Who Doesn't Breathe," and a documentary film has been made about Severinsen, where the famous freediver reveals his secrets. Stig Severinsen is also the author of the internet project breatheology.com, a community of people practicing freediving.