- 06/25/2003

Rodale's Scuba Diving

Turks and Caicos, June 23, 2003--Tanya Streeter, who has just arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands for a month long stay at Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, will receive the honor of becoming a member of a small select group of persons chosen to appear on postage stamps, when she attempts to break her 8th World Record in the Turks and Caicos Islands in July. Tanya Streeter will join a line of heroes, legends and icons who have appeared on Turks and Caicos stamps, including the Royal Family, Martin Luther King, JFK, Elvis Presley, Christopher Columbus and Winston Churchill.

Government Ministers decided to issue the series of stamps to commemorate her achievements in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The decision was made following Tanya's amazing achievement last year when she broke both the women's and men's No Limits Freediving World Record. Tanya Streeter is now preparing for her latest assault on the record books, this time in the Variable Ballast category.

Director of Tourism John Skippings comments, "This series of Turks and Caicos stamps in Tanya Streeter's honor will commemorate the achievements of this incredible athlete. We are proud that she has achieved so much in our beautiful by nature islands for our destination and her sport."

The Variable Ballast record is the only one of the four deep Freediving World Records that Tanya has not held. Should she be successful, it will represent a moment in aquatic history that may never be repeated. No man or woman has ever attempted to break all four deep Freediving World Records.

Whilst it is not as deep as the No Limits record she broke in August 2002, (160m/525ft), the Variable Ballast record is more physically and mentally challenging as Tanya is required to return to the surface using her own power. The current women's record stands at 90m with the men's at 120m. If Tanya is to successfully break the Variable Ballast World Record she will need to hold her breath for more than 3 minutes, descend on a weighted sled and kick and pull her way up the guide rope from a depth of at least 330 feet/100 meters. The current World Record stands at 312ft/95m.

The record attempt, which is being co-sponsored by the Turks and Caicos Tourism Board and Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, will take place on July 19th, 2003.

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