CEBU CITY, Philippines— Holding your breath for a few seconds may feel like an accomplishment. But imagine doing it for nearly three minutes while freediving. Now that’s an amazing feat.
In this CDN SportsTalk episode, we explore the life of Marion John Sumalinog, a proud Cebuano and a nine-time national record holder in freediving.
Sumalinog, a level three Molchanovs free diving instructor, recently set a national record with a 78-meter constant weight dive in Lapu-Lapu City last November.
FACES OF CEBU: Marion John Sumalinog, 34, freediving instructor
Despite facing challenges and nervousness in competitions, Sumalinog, who holds the deepest monofin record in the Philippines, succeeded in his bid for the record.
Marion freediving.
“Kulba sad even though daghan na kaayo ko’g competition nga experience I’ve been joining for two years, dili gyud ma wala ang kulba. Mas kulba lang gyud ‘to sya nga competition kay kulang ko’s training,” he said.
Juggling his roles as a competitive freediving athlete and an instructor, he faced difficulties in training for his recent dive.
However, with just two days of preparation, he achieved another victory, holding his breath for two minutes and thirty-two seconds.
Adrenaline sport
Sumalinog has been freediving for five years. When he started, he said he was not a natural swimmer. But with consistent practice and the urge to know the sport more, he became one of Cebu’s known freedivers.
“Ang reason nganu ko murag nag hook sa freediving man gud kay I’m more into adrenaline sport. Adrenaline sa uban sport naa ra gyud sa babaw, so ang adrenaline man gud sa freedive, kay after ma human [ang dive],” he said.
He believes that freediving goes beyond physical strength, requiring mental strength as well.
As an instructor, he encourages students to overcome fear, emphasizing that fear is often a product of the mind.
“Fear is ‘False Evidence Appearing as Real’ because mainly atoa ra gyung mind ang mag create of fear,” he said.
The fundamentals of freediving, according to Sumalinog, involve learning how to hold your breath and equalize.
With consistent training, individuals can become comfortable with their body’s responses and adapt to their surroundings.
Would you try freediving?
/bmjo
