Photo of Umberto Pelazzari

Umberto Pelizzari was born in 1965 and is a world-renowned freediving champion and gold medalist. In 1997 he held all world records in Variable Weight, Constant Weight and No Limits disciplines, with a maximum depth to date of 429 feet (131m).

In 2000 he was featured in the IMAX film OceanMan, which told the story of himself and long-time rival Francisco ‘Pipin’ Ferreras. Today Umberto is working as a journalist and scientist.

In 1995, he established the Apnea Academy in Rome, Italy, as a school for freediving and international research. His high quality training set a new precedent for the National Fire Department scuba divers in Italy.