Founder-Owner of OneBreath Freediving.
Graduate of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens
BSc in Sport Science and Physical Education with a specialization in swimming.
Apnea Academy / CMAS – E.O.Y.D.A. / S.S.I. Freediving Instructor.
First Aid Instructor.
Dimitris was born on February 1, 1974, in Athens, where he grew up and lives until now. He kicked off his swimming career at the age of 10, as a junior Pan-Hellenic Gymnastics Club (P.G.C) team member (also known as “Panellinios”), where he later starred in the freestyle events, achieving National and Balkan victories, while setting several national records. For many years, he was a member of the Hellenic National Swimming team.
Naturally, after obtaining his BA (Hons) Degree in PE & Sport Science with a specialization in swimming, he worked as a swimming coach at numerous celebrated Greek sports clubs, such as P.G.C., the Athletic Nautical Club of Glyfada and Argo.
Familiar with spearfishing since childhood and after withdrawing from competitive swimming, it only came naturally to become more actively involved in freediving. As a result, in 2003, having completed his training as a third-level Apnea Academy student, his freediving journey began.
In the following years, along with his round-the-clock coaching job in the pools, he started training as an assistant instructor in the first ever and largest freediving school in the country, next to Roberto Calich.
This is how his professional involvement with freediving set off.
Next, he became an AIDA Hellas member, competing from 2005-onwards in both pool and open water championships with several distinctions, especially in depth competitions. Since 2013, he has been an elected member of the Aida Hellas Board of Directors and from 2015 until early 2019, he served as its President.
A CMAS – E.O.Y.D.A. (Hellenic Federation for Underwater Activities and Sportfishing) certified Instructor since 2008, Dimitris went on to successfully complete the Apnea Academy Freediving Instructor course in 2010, under the direct guidance and supervision of Umberto Pelizzari.
Along with coaching freedivers, he started building training programs for competitive athletes and spearfishers, who naturally demand more from themselves. Since November 2015, he has been the physical fitness coach of “Physalis”, the Greek underwater rugby team.
Dimitris founded ONEBREATH Freediving in 2016 and a few months later, a large core of freedivers who wanted to engage more “dynamically” in the sport gathered around him and thus, gradually, a team was formed that trains systematically under his guidance, with significant results.
In 2015, appreciating the positive elements that yoga offers to freedivers, he was accredited as a Hatha Yoga instructor in order to be able to offer even more to his students. After all, the benefits of yoga in freediving are well known.
In March 2019, he also became the first Greek Apnea Academy instructor trained in teaching mental training.
In September 2019, he was further certified as an Scuba Schools International (S.S.I.) Freediving instructor, while a few months later he will train in Levico, Italy, in the KAD (Kids as Dolphins) program as a Freediving instructor for ages 7-12 (primary school children).
He is a Coast and Pool Lifeguard Degree holder – recognized by the Hellenic Coast Guard -and is a certified (current) provider of CPR & external defibrillator use by the prominent RTI (Rescue Training International) organization. In December 2016, after successfully completing his lifeguard training course, he was further certified as a Lifeguard Instructor while in January 2019, as an S.S.I. First Aid instructor.
For the last 2 years he has also been active in the sport of underwater target shooting with a notable success in the Biathlon event, which requires both marksmanship and breath-hold skills.
In September 2016, he was certified as an AIDA International competition judge after successfully attending the respective course during the AIDA World Team Championships.
Since January 2016 and to this day, he systematically organizes indoor freediving competitions under the name ONEBREATH Pool Games.
A top challenge came in September 2017, when he single-handedly organized the competitive-technical requirements for the Authentic Big Blue International depth competition. Held in Amorgos island (as a revival of Luc Besson’s legendary film – “Le Grand Bleu”), which, in itself, made the task very daunting, the tournament proved an all-round success, and has since become a world-class sporting event.
Last but not least, Dimitris is also a CMAS level3* scubadiver.
Competitive Background in Freediving
Participation in both AIDA and CMAS events:
– Aida Hellas National Pool Championships (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019).
– Aida Hellas Panhellenic Depth Championships from 2005 to date.
– The 2019 E.O.Y.D.A. – CMAS National Pool Championship.
– Aida International World Depth Championships: In Kalamata for the years 2011 (CNF, CWT, FIM) and 2013 (CNF, CWT) and in 2015 in Limassol, Cyprus (CNF).
Dimitris was both the coach and Captain of the National Freediving Team in the Aida World Team Championships (September 2016), where Greece ranked fourth in men and fifth in women, respectively.
Distinctions in:
National pool championships:
-Third place in the Dynamic without Fins (DNF) discipline in 2011, 2017 & 2019 (AIDA).
-Second place in Static Apnea (STA) in 2012 & 2013.
-Second place in DNF in 2019 (CMAS).
-Second place in the Dynamic Bi-Fins discipline in 2019 (CMAS).
National depth championships:
-Third place in the Free Immersion (FIM) discipline in 2010, 2016 & 2018.
-Second place FIM in 2012, 2013 & 2015.
-Second place in Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) in 2012 , 2015 & 2018.
-First place in CNF in 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017.
Also, several distinctions in apnea preparation competitions (Athens Apnea, Cretan Apnea Games etc).
