Hidden depths

But, freediving required the exact opposite. "Unlike most sports, where you need to stimulate the pump of adrenaline for better performance, in freediving, once you get excited, you're doomed," she said.

This is why Ning began teaching herself meditation. Now, she dedicates about an hour every day to meditation, whether she's working in Beijing or training in the Philippines. "It has become a part of my life, a routine as essential as the three meals of the day," she said.

Meditation helped her to better concentrate on, and enjoy, each dive, at least during the descent, because that is before the urge to breathe strikes, and her thigh muscles start to ache from the continuous kicking of the fins.

She began training with various competitive freedivers in 2022, steadily pushing her boundaries, one meter at a time.

Progressing from 40 to 50, then 60 and 70, by the end of 2022, Ning was able to reach a depth of 80 meters, which prompted her decision to participate in competitions scheduled in the Philippines the following year.

In July 2023, at the AIDA Panglao Depth Games, Ning accomplished a successful dive to 91 meters, propelling her to the position of third-ranked in China — and eighth in the world — in women's CWT.

Ning's path to becoming a record-holder was far from straightforward or easy, because she doesn't have the ideal height or build for a freediver.

Just as taller swimmers enjoy advantages such as longer arms and legs, aiding their speed in the water, many top female freedivers — like Alessia Zecchini from Italy, Alenka Artnik from Slovenia, and Jung A-kim from South Korea — stand at least around 1.7 meters or ever taller, while Ning is only 1.58.

Also, Ning wasn't particularly athletic before she took up freediving. As a result, she lacked the muscle and leg strength typical of many top divers, causing her to tire easily when kicking fast.