Mandy-Ray Cruickshank is a freediving world champion, Canadian apneist and record holder. Winner of 7 world and many national records in Canada.
Biography
Born May 10, 1974 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. As a child, she began to engage in water sports.
At the age of 9, she began competing in the synchronized swimming team. At the age of 15 she became a certified scuba diver. After school, I decided to devote myself to diving on a professional basis, having studied to be a top-level diving instructor, and then to become a director of courses for diving instructors.
Sports achivments
In 2000, Mandy-Rae switched to freediving. But by the end of 2000, she was able to become the third in the world championship in this sport and set the world record for deep diving without restrictions.
On January 9, 2003, she set her first national record, falling in Vancouver, British Columbia to a depth of 41 m with a breath holding. This achievement became a Canadian record in the discipline "Deep diving with breath holding".
Somewhat later, in April 2005, Mandy-Ray set a world record in the deep-sea diving without fins or fins with a breath hold of 52 meters.
Just 3 days after setting this record, Mandy-Ray sets a new world record. In the discipline "Deep-sea diving on a rope with holding the breath" she dived to a depth of 74 m, becoming the world champion among women.
In April 2007, in the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, she set a world record for women in deep-sea diving with fins and fins and holding her breath. Her result was 88 meters or 239 feet.
Since 2004, he has been the captain of the Canadian women's freediving team, regularly competing in the world championships in this sport. The team consists of Mandy-Ray Cruickshank, Jade Leuthenegger and Jessica Appedail. In 2004, this team took first place in the AIDA Freediving World Championship. In total, this team was able to win two second and three third places in the World Championship only in the first 6 years of its existence.
Mandy-Ray Cruickshank was inducted into the World Women's Diving Hall of Fame in 2009.
Holder of 13 Canadian national records.
Winner of 7 world records. In addition to the above, Mandy-Ray Cruickshank holds the following world achievements among women:
- Static breath holding - 6 minutes 25 seconds.
- Dynamic scuba diving with fins holding - 131 m.
- Dynamic breath-holding diving without fins - 100 m.
- Deep-sea diving without limits - 136 m.
Husband and personal life
Mandy-Ray's husband is Kirk Krak. He founded the freediving agency Perfomance Freediving International in 2000. Coaches the wife of Mandy-Ray Cruikshank and Martin Stepanek, the world men's freediving champion.
Since 2004, the agency has been organizing the international freediving tournament Deja Blue.
In 2019, the company merged with the world leader in freediving certification, International Training.
Crank and Cruikshank maintain a close friendship with Tiger Woods, the world's greatest golfer and one of the most famous athletes in the world.
In 2010, both Mandy-Ray and Kirk had a daughter, Kyle. Parents from birth instill in the child a love for water sports and on the 4th birthday gave her the first mono-fins.
Stage creativity
In 2006, she became a member of the security team of the famous stage magician and illusionist David Blaine. In the same year, David Blaine staged a trick in which he held his breath for 9 minutes, descending into a sphere filled with water. When it became clear that the trick had failed, Mandy-Ray and her companion Martin Stepanek dived into the sphere to save the magician from drowning.
In 2008, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank and her husband Scream coached David Blaine for his new stunt on The Oprah Winfrey Show, during which he had to hold his breath for 17 minutes. Cruikshank and Krak were responsible for the education and training of the illusionist, as well as safety during the entire stunt.
Mandy-Ray Cruickshank has starred in several films: The Cove (2009), The Mermaid's Throne (2006) and The Shell Phases (2008).
Bay
The Cove is a 2009 documentary by Greek-American director Louis Psychoyos that condemns the practice of hunting dolphins in Japan. The film calls on the viewer to stop the massacre of dolphins in Japan, prohibit the barbaric methods of Japanese fishing, and talk about the risk of mercury poisoning when eating dolphin meat.
The film was filmed secretly from the Japanese government and the public using high-sensitivity underwater microphones and specialized high-definition underwater camouflage cameras disguised as rocks. This equipment was so well camouflaged that it was difficult for divers to find it after filming.
High quality military TV and night vision cameras were also used during the filming.
The film received 25 film awards:
- Academy Award for Best Documentary 2010.
- Audience Award at the 25th Annual Film Festival in 2009.
- Genesis Award 2010.
- 62nd Writers Guild Award in 2009.
- 2009 Directors Guild Award.
- Other awards from the Film Critics Association.
The nonprofit Oceanic Preservation Society has translated the film into several languages.
Throne of the Mermaid
"The Mermaid's Throne" is a 2006 television film based on the novel of the same name by American novelist Sue Monk Kidd. The film was directed by Stephen Schachter. Famous actors Alex Carter, Bruce Greenwood and Kim Basinger starred. Filming took place in British Columbia (Canada) and on one of the barrier islands of South Carolina.
The film is about 42-year-old married Jesse Sullivan who falls in love with a Benedictine monk and focuses on the themes of marriage crisis and midlife crisis.
The phases of the shell
The Shell Phases is a documentary about the Perfomance Freediving International team of founder Kirk Krak, his wife Mandy-Ray Cruikshank, and freediving champions George Lopez and Martin Stepanek.
The film tells about the boundaries of human potential in a real search for adventure, explores the boundaries of the physical and psychological limitations of a person.
The picture tells about how freedivers train, how they strive to where no one has been before. Tells about the highest achievements in freediving, how they were conquered, and what barriers had to be overcome for this.
In addition, the film stars David Blaine talking about his failed stunt Drowned Alive and his rescue by the team of Perfomance Freediving International.
Mandy-Ray Cruickshank is currently
Mandy-Ray regularly spends time in special Red Bull camps, where she talks about her records, conducts seminars on overcoming personal boundaries based on her personal sports experience.
In addition, she teaches freediving, leads the operational part of the agency Perfomance Freediving International.
