UNDER WATER

HOW HOLDING MY BREATH TAUGHT ME TO LIVE

20,000 leagues of sparkling adventure. Breathholds, beauty, spirit;

the world needs vital humans like Claire

~ Ruth Fitzmaurice

I spent my twenties playing the Should Game. I should be getting a ‘real’ job, I should be settling down, all the while playing hide and seek with depression - which I should have won. Aged 32, single and living with my parents, I decided it was time to chart my own path. Booking a flight to South America, I waved goodbye to ‘at home Claire’ and opened myself up to a new world of possibilities.

It was here I discovered freediving. Diving deep under water without the use of breathing apparatus, freediving is often considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world, but at 60 metres below the surface, I discovered a fresh perspective that transformed my life and helped me find freedom. Under Water is my story of how holding my breath taught me to live.

… And It’s nearly here. Certainly a ‘pinch me’ moment, Under Water will land on bookshelves on March 9th, 2023.