Umberto Pelizzari - Speaker

Seemingly destined to be a world champion freediver—he could swim flawlessly by the age of five—at 19, Umberto Pelizzari set a record for static freediving, reaching 5'33". Two years later, in 1990, he broke the world record with a time of 6'03". That same year, after intensive training, he set a new world record for immersion apnea in constant weight, reaching a depth of 65 meters. More records followed: In 1995, after breathing pure oxygen for 8 minutes, Umberto held his breath for 19'56''. In October, he broke a total of three world records. Over the next decade, Umberto competed against top rivals and numerous records were shattered. In October 1999, with technical support from the Italian Navy, Umberto made history with a dive considered impossible by many. He descended to 150 meters in the 'no limits' variable weight discipline.

In the 00s, Umberto and the Italian National Team won the gold medal at the Freediving World Championship. He went on to establish a new world record in variable weight, diving to 131 meters and back in 2'44". During this period, Umberto co-authored the first illustrated manual on freediving and worked as a journalist and reporter for television programs about science and ocean environments. Umberto founded the Apnea Academy, a school dedicated to freediving research and education. Since 2006, he has worked as a teacher in Pisa, at the second level of Master of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine. Since September 2013, Umberto has taught the PhD program in Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine at the University of Palermo.