The longest underwater walk with one breath (female) is 81.60 m and was achieved by Bilge Cingigiray (Turkey) in Istanbul, Turkey

Bilge Cingigiray is a national free diving athlete from Turkey who has dreamed of breaking the record for longest underwater walk with one breath (female) for two years. 

The Turkish athlete successfully broke the record by walking a staggering 81.60 m (267 ft 72 in) in one minute, using a single breath. 

This is the equivalent of walking up and down a bowling alley four times!

This record requires one foot to be touching the ground at all times, so to prevent the risk of drifting to the surface, Bilge used a dumbbell to help weigh her down.

Longest underwater walk with one breath female front view

It is not the first time Bilge has broken this record. In 2017, she originally set the record by walking 67.16 m (220.34 ft), however this distance was raised by Russian athlete, Marina Kazankova in the same year. 

This motivated Bilge to train harder to regain her title, a journey which took two years to complete.

She certainly raised the bar, increasing her original distance by 14.44 m (47 ft 38 in) and even beating the distance for the longest underwater walk with one breath (male), which currently stands at 79.94 m (262 ft 3.24 in).

Longest underwater walk celebration

The event was open for the public to watch at the Ağaoğlu My World Club swimming pool in Istanbul, Turkey.

While Bilge’s family and friends supported from the sidelines, it was her excited four-year-old son who was the first to congratulate her. 

Longest underwater walk family shot

What will your adventure be?

Feeling inspired to attempt a Guinness World Records title yourself after reading about Bilge's achievement? Discover your Spirit of Adventure by finding out more about GWR Day, including how you can get involved on the day itself (Thursday 14 November). We realise everyone’s adventure is different (and not everyone wants to jump out of a plane!), so whether it's taking on a new challenge, fulfiling a desire for adrenaline or perfecting your existing skills – there's a record waiting for you.

GWR Day