Ego, Breath, and the Sea: Raghda EzzelDin’s Awakening in Freediving

By Hadeel El Deeb On Jan 1, 2025

Raghda Ezzeldin, Egypt’s ‘Golden Fishie,’ recalls the moment as if it were yesterday—the rush of adrenaline, the tight weight belt as she descended into the deep, and the water swallowing her whole.

She had decided to experiment, to push herself beyond the boundaries she knew, diving 50 meters with extra weight to see how fast she could rocket down the sea.

Looking at the surface on her way back up, the water felt thicker, the air thinner, and panic began to set in. Her mind screamed for her to let go of the belt, but her hands wouldn’t do it, refusing to surrender to the safety measures that had always guided her. It was a reckless decision that nearly cost her everything.

As Raghda reflects on the experience, she describes freediving as something profoundly spiritual: “It’s like being in the hands of God,” describing how a feeling so liberating was tainted by her ego and a drive to push further, faster, and harder.

The Turning Point: From Competition to Reflection

As Raghda’s passion for freediving grew, so did her ambition. With what she refers to as a “low fear thermometer,” Raghda was determined to constantly break records, push her body to the limit, and compete at the highest level.

But, she admits, her ego soon overshadowed the original love she had for freediving. Instead of enjoying the liberating feeling of diving, she found herself fighting to keep up with the pressure that she overloaded herself with.

It was during her training for the 2017 competition – when she was attempting to break her own record without fins – that Raghda reached a breaking point. “I had overtrained, and I could feel my body wasn’t ready,” she recalls. “But my ego took over. I ignored all the warning signs, and I kept pushing.”

As she descended into the water, Raghda felt the dread settle in. Her body was exhausted, and she was mentally drained. But still, she defied the signs of fatigue, convinced she had to train harder.

The result was a serious injury to her trachea, and when she surfaced, she was coughing out blood. “That was the moment I knew my competitive days had to end,” she says. “I realized the danger of pushing beyond what my body and spirit were willing to do. It wasn’t worth it.”

Raghda finally saw what had to change: her approach to freediving and, more importantly, her relationship with her ego.

Then and there, the water was no longer just a place to chase records; she was anchored back into her original love for the meditative sport of freediving, swaying her away from the dangers of losing sight of the true meaning behind her passion.

A Life Transformed

Once a student of mathematics and philosophy, and later a successful but restless financial analyst, Raghda’s life took a sharp turn, or more of a “free fall”, into the depths of freediving.

What started as a love for being one with the depths of the sea became a calling, and today, she is Egypt’s most celebrated female freediver, a four-time national record holder, and cofounder of Blue Odyssea.

Named among BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in 2018, Raghda has redefined what it means to dive deep, not just into the water, but into the very essence of self-discovery.

Her story is one of transformation, a journey into the profound stillness of the deep blue sea, where every breath becomes a lesson in resilience, focus, and liberation.

Freediving, for Raghda, isn’t just a sport—it’s meditation in motion and a path to reconnect with both nature and her truest self. Through her pioneering work, she has opened the world of freediving to many in Egypt, inspiring them to explore their own depths and find freedom in the space between breaths.

The Magic of the Body’s Adaptation

One of the things Raghda loves most about freediving is how it has taught her to respect the incredible capabilities of the human body. She talks about how one’s mental state is crucial and how the things we suppress on land find a way to resurface underwater.

“There’s a strong energy about the element of water, one that not a lot of us are connected to because of constantly being tied to city living. We forget that water is all about letting go and flowing,” she says.

Freediving, she believes, helps people tap into a hidden potential that’s often underestimated and comes out when we are in harmony with the powerful, graceful energy of the water element.

With practice, the body learns to harmonize with the water and becomes one with the mind, training itself to be more efficient and to move with the water, not against it. The heart rate slows down, and the skin wrinkles to have a grip underwater as the body starts getting into the ‘mammalian dive reflex.’

“Your mind and body align as one, and you find yourself doing things you never thought possible,” Raghda says.

The True Essence of Free Diving

Raghda’s message is not meant to discourage others from free diving but rather to remind them of the essence of the sport: the beauty of surrender and the connection between body and nature.

“People dream of going to space to experience weightlessness, but freediving is just as incredible. Just ten meters underwater, you can feel like you’re in a completely different world in a no-gravity zone,” she says.

For Raghda, the underwater experience is something almost transcendent: “In the water, I am nothing and everything. I’m the only awareness I have,” she says. “It’s so hard to put this feeling into words, but it’s like you are literally in the hands of God.”

Raghda urges those who are drawn to free diving to approach it with mindfulness and remember that it’s about freedom, grace, and harmony between the mind and the sea.

She talks about how the sport is not about proving something or breaking records but rather about feeling connected to something greater, something peaceful. “When we let go of the ego, we can experience the true magic of free diving.”

She emphasizes that ego-driven decisions can turn what should be a joyful experience into something dangerous. “If you lose sight of the true essence of the sport, it can quickly become a battle to survive rather than to enjoy,” she warns.

A Journey of Self-Discovery

Raghda’s journey in freediving has been a process of self-discovery. What was once a pursuit of speed and records transformed into a deeper understanding of herself and her relationship with the sea?

Now, instead of competing, she’s focused on sharing the sport’s beauty with others. She opened a free diving school to teach others how to experience the magic of the sea, to dance under and with water, and to learn the true meaning of surrender.