Who is Nataliia Zharkova

As I ended my swimmer career, I began working as a lifeguard at a pool. That’s when I met freedivers. Coach noticed my abilities and suggested I try. So I did and set a national record at the very first competition in 2008. In 2009, I participated in my first international freediving competition in Aarhus, Denmark. These were pool disciplines, and at that time, I was already a national record holder for Ukraine (pic 2)

I had my first experience of freediving in the sea in Crimea, but the real breakthrough came in 2010, when I trained under the guidance of Natalia Molchanova in Dahab (pic 3)
This experience motivated me even more, and in 2011, I took part in my first depth World Championship in Kalamata, where I placed 6th (pic 5)

Starting in 2013, I regularly appeared at the podium of World Championships in depth disciplines (pic 6) One of the significant moments in my development was diving in Dahab in 2016, when I swam through the famous Arch of Blue Hole — one of the most mystified and stunning underwater locations in the world (video 7) It was a true challenge that made me feel even closer to my then deceased mentor Natalia as she was the first one to complete this dive🧜🏼‍♀️

 In 2017, I set two world records at the European Championship, and I repeated this success at the World Championship in 2018.
In 2019, I reached a major milestone in my career: diving to a depth of 100 meters on a single breath, becoming the seventh woman in freediving history to achieve this (pic 8) That same year, I set two more world records at the CMAS Championship in Honduras.

In 2020, during the lockdown, my husband and I moved to Kyiv, where I developed the @deep_division_ freediving school with friends. The school is still active and is now led by my partner @natanielliu .

In 2021, we moved to Dubai, where I started working at @deepdivedubai — the deepest pool in the world. Later, I decided to adopt a more flexible schedule and focus on my personal development. Being back self-employed now feels like it suits me better 😉 as it allows me to continue improving my own skills

For me, freediving is a way to understand myself and the world. It can be something for you too!🙌

Women’s day reminder

⚪️ Today is not about celebrating femininity—it’s about equality. This day was created to demand equal rights: the right to vote, equal pay, access to education… things that are now normal in many places, but still not everywhere. And even where they are, equality on paper doesn’t mean equality in reality.

⚪️ Just days ago, I spoke with women who feel overwhelmed, expected to do it all. And some might say, “Well, you wanted equal rights, now deal with it!” But here’s the thing: we gained the right to work, to be entrepreneurs, to share financial responsibilities. But did men step up to make space for us to actually do so?

⚪️ Women gained rights, but society’s mentality barely changed. It may take decades—maybe centuries—if humanity survives—to erase the echoes of a time when women were only seen as caregivers.

⚪️ Now we can have careers, but we’re still expected to run the household, meet all the old expectations, and oh! - never age. If we don’t fulfill these expectations, we’re seen as not good enough. The system never fully adjusted.

⚪️ And let’s not even start on “equality” at workplaces.

⚪️ It’s not just about society—it’s about us, too. Many women (myself included) were raised with ingrained beliefs about what a woman should be. I grew up in a culture where a woman’s fulfillment was tied to being a wife and mother. Unlearning that takes work. And those expectations? We impose them on ourselves too!

⚪️ But let’s be clear—equality isn’t about extreme independence or proving we don’t need anyone. It’s about INTERdependence. We should be able to trust and rely on each other, not because we’re helpless, but because we choose to share responsibilities equally. That’s real balance.

⚪️ So may all the girls grow up into women. Every step we take toward maturity and self-awareness brings us closer to true equality.

🔴 Let this day be a reminder: equal rights mean equal responsibilities for all the parties involved. To us, ladies: get of your own back! You are good enough! And to our partners: if you want us there in your lows, don’t forget to show up for us in your highs.

Age in fridiving

It’s NOT about age.
It’s NOT about limits.
It’s about NOT HAVING ANY.

It’s difficult for me to say exactly when I started freediving, because I believe my freediving journey actually began during my years of swimming. I started swimming when I was 7 years old 🐬

There was a casual break — a pause between the ages of 17 and 19. And then, at 19, I saw long fins for the first time… and I haven’t taken them off my feet ever since.

After all these years I can say with confidence: the age you start freediving does not define your abilities or the results you can achieve. No matter how old you are right now — this is the perfect time to give it a try.

👉 While you’re still wondering if it’s too late to start freediving, @yevhenmuraviov went to an international competition — and casually set 2 World Records in his age group.

Yevhen is 65. He only started his sports journey a few years ago.
Today, his personal best in static breath-hold is over 8 minutes.