Maria Bobela is a Polish competitive freediver based in Egypt, a World Champion and multiple-time national record holder. Since first discovering freediving in 2021, she has progressed rapidly in depth disciplines, establishing herself as one of the leading women in the sport. She became World Champion in CNF with – 66 meters at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in 2024, and earned a Silver Medal at the 2025 CMAS World Championship, with -68 meters.
After the nice interview to Isabel Sánchez-Arán, our chats with women freediving champions continue. In this interview, Maria shares how she found her way into freediving, how the sport has reshaped her daily life and career, and how her relationship with competition has evolved over time.
Darina Chesheva: When did your passion for freediving begin, and what was it that first drew you to it?
Maria Bobela: I can’t say it began at one specific moment. It developed gradually and kept transforming into different things, and in many ways that process is still ongoing. I first tried freediving in 2021 and my initial experience was honestly terrible. I wasn’t aware of how much tension I carried in my body, and the idea of just relaxing on a physical level felt completely abstract to me. I simply didn’t know how to do it. I abandoned the idea for four months and never thought I would return to it.
Later, during the heavy COVID lockdowns, I decided to take a break from my routine and traveled to Egypt for work and exploration. That’s where I gave freediving another chance and something finally clicked. Still, it wasn’t an instant love or transformation. It was a slow process of developing skills and understanding my body. Only last year did freediving truly become pure enjoyment for me. It took me four years to fully learn how to relax in the water, and now diving finally feels easy, natural, and deeply pleasant.
Darina Chesheva: How does freediving shape your everyday life? How does it influence your mindset, habits, or daily routine outside the water?
Maria Bobela: This year I made a huge change: I shifted from graphic design and a 9–5 job that I had been doing for the past 13 years to full-time holistic freediving. It’s still very new for me and something I’m learning to adapt to. My life is chaotic now, in a way I enjoy, because I’m involved in multiple projects, but at the same time I feel calmer, happier, and genuinely excited about what the future holds.
Darina Chesheva: What role do competitions play in your freediving journey? Beyond the records and rankings, what motivates you?
Maria Bobela: My relationship with competitions has changed a lot. I started competing almost by accident, and when I won my first national record it made me greedy in a way. I began to collect and count achievements, and I didn’t like what that did to me, how I felt about myself and even the people I surrounded myself with.
Today, I still enjoy competing and I finally truly enjoy my training, but competition is no longer the center of everything for me. Winning is great, of course, but it doesn’t define me. Competitions help with visibility and building my name, but ultimately my long-term goal is teaching in my very own way.
Darina Chesheva: Freediving demands extreme mental control. What personal mental techniques have you developed to stay calm and focused at depth?
Maria Bobela: I think I’m naturally quite resistant to stress because I’ve always lived a fast-paced life, moved between countries, and exposed myself to different cultures and environments. I never developed one specific technique. For me, what is familiar creates a sense of safety and control.
The unknown and the stress factor actually motivate me to explore deeper and go beyond what I already know, while consistency in training and time in the water give me the mental comfort of known circumstances.
Darina Chesheva: You’ve identified CNF as your favourite discipline. What draws you to it in particular?
Maria Bobela: I love how natural it feels. I love pushing my body through the water using only my muscles and my mind. It feels like flying, but in a very raw and honest way.
Darina Chesheva: What are your upcoming goals in freediving, whether events, expeditions, or personal challenges, and how are you preparing for them?
Maria Bobela: I never share them, because I don’t want to put pressure on myself. Also, this year is full of many workshops that I run, travels, people, and projects. All of these come with interesting directions that I want to explore first and see which ones I naturally feel drawn to in the end.
