Kathryn's a cert to dive straight into it

Martinborough freediver Kathryn Nevatt has been rewarded for a series of outstanding performances on the international front.

Arriving in the post recently was a Best of the Best certificate from world body AIDA International, awarded for her being runner-up for the world's best female freediver title in 2011, second only to Russian Natalia Molchanov.

Nevatt finished last year ranked No 1 in the world in two disciplines, the Static Apnea (SA) with a breath hold time of 7mins 34secs and Dynamic No Fins (DNF) category where she managed a distance (horizontally) of 158m on a single breath. That SA time places her amongst the top two women ever and in the top 12 inclusive of men.

The indoor individual world championships in Lignano, Italy last October saw Nevatt win gold in the SA with a time of 7mins 12secs and a silver in the DNF.

There she recorded a distance of 148ms. She also placed fourth in the Dynamic With Monofin class with a distance of 186m.

Nevatt has a goal to reach eight minutes in SA this year and to regain the world record she once held in DNF.

That record currently stands at 160m and is held by Molchanova who, like Nevatt, will look back on her 2011 campaign with considerable satisfaction.

She won two golds at the individual depth world championships in Greece, including the setting of another world record by diving to a depth of 101m on a single breath.

A full-time architect in Palmerston North with a home in Martinborough, Nevatt's job situation has undergone a change which will enable her to train in Masterton two days a week while also continuing to promote the courses she runs for freedivers and spearfishers.

Their aim is to increase safety and share effective techniques and also provide her with a means of raising the funds needed to attend international competitions.