Amidst his busy schedule, we managed to have a chat with Antonio Mogavero, and the conversation revolved around what we briefly discussed at the fair, during the last Eudi Show. "It's true, we talked about some projects in development, as you know I'm quite active in teaching as well; despite my 27 years, I've been dedicating time to instructing in workshops and private lessons alongside my full-time sports activities for several seasons now. Unfortunately, at the moment, the time I can dedicate to it is limited due to the volume and complexity of my daily training. I became one of the youngest instructors in Italy at the age of 19, and it's been a continuous growth since then. I've challenged myself and matured a lot, also working extensively at Y-40 until 2022, observing and learning from great instructors like the tireless Mardollo, and 'stealing' a lot here and there, eventually defining my teaching method by learning a lot from Michele Giurgola, Tito Zappalà, Andrea Zuccari (a salute up there), Marco Nones, big names to whom I'll always be grateful. 

"Extensive experience as an athlete and various collaborations have helped me in my journey in teaching and training methodology. I'm still guided by great experts, primarily Alessandro Zacheo from Just Apnea in Bari (my coach), whom I believe is the most competent in Italy regarding training methodology applied to freediving; and Mauro Salvalaggio for the biomechanics applied to the gym. Among future projects, indeed, there is the aim to make accessible competencies that make the journey of anyone (athletes, coaches, instructors) a bit lighter, perhaps avoiding future athletes from finding themselves in dead ends. Freediving is a beautiful but very delicate and difficult sport, especially at medium/high levels. In fact, it's really complex to find people with the right skills to guide you towards excellence. One of my projects is precisely to create 4/5 workshops, each dedicated to deep freediving disciplines, telling the how, when, and why of all the choices we've made that allowed me to reach the highest levels, as well as the behind-the-scenes, the disappointments...". 

There are rumors of a watch brand ready to re-enter the world of freediving. What can you tell us about it?  
"Indeed, as we announced a few weeks ago on social media, this year marked the great comeback of Sector no Limits, the brand that since 1973 has made history in extreme sports and, above all, has supported the endeavors of the greats of the past generation of freediving. The brand, now part of the Morellato group since 1991, following in the footsteps of Patrick de Gayardon (king of base jumping and sky-surfing), launched what would become an extension of its brand identity: No Limits, where watches became technical instruments for those who wanted to turn sports into adventure. Patrick de Gayardon wasn't a solitary phenomenon but rallied the talents of other historical 'dreamers,' such as free climber Manolo, freediver Pipin Ferreras, solo navigator Gérard d'Aboville, authors of exceptional feats and records. With them, the Sector Team was created. Today, the Sector Team is reborn to carry on the legacy of the 'heroes' of the past, who paved the way for generations of extreme athletes and enthusiasts". 

"And the protagonists are not only those who seek to push the boundaries of human possibilities higher and higher but also all those athletes who have gone beyond their dreams in their everyday lives, the lives of everyone. Thus, alongside 'extraordinary' specialists like Mogavero and kite-surfer Valentin Garat, the Sector Team also includes young athletes, stars in well-known sports such as soccer, volleyball, alpine skiing, swimming, and skateboarding. Among them, soccer player Federico Dimarco, swimmer Florent Manadou, volleyball player Ivan Zaytsev, skier Giovanni Franzoni, skateboarder Alessandro Mazzara, and soccer player Federico Gatti”. 

June 4th, 2024, marks the day of the baton pass within the Sector team for the underwater part from Pipin Ferreras to Mogavero. On the occasion of the event dedicated to the 51st anniversary of the brand, Mogavero decided to dive to 51 meters, a symbolic altitude for him, in the dark and cold waters of Lake Garda, in Riva del Garda, supported by the local Diving Club. "I posted a story - Antonio tells us - in which I recounted a past anecdote about how even the Pescasub magazine filled my afternoons as a child when my father, a loyal subscriber, would propose and tell fishing stories. Ironically, I picked up a few issues from the '90s and coincidentally, during that time, Sector was being advertised with Pipin's feats, and one of the gifts my mother gave my father on their engagement was a Sector watch. 34 years later, I'm part of the Sector Team and answering questions for an interview in PescaSub & Apnea. Amazing, isn't it?". 
 

Freediving is experiencing a period of great excitement. How do you see the immediate future? 
"In these last few years of competitions, competitive freediving has shown great dynamism. Speaking about outdoor activities, the most significant changes have occurred mainly in terms of organization, safety, but especially in terms of media coverage, which is growing thanks to the deep footage captured by the underwater drone Diveye. Now, it's possible not only to enjoy the spectacular dive into the blue but also to technically analyze the performance meter by meter. Given the continuous growth of participants and sponsor interest, I believe that within the next decade, at most, we will become as famous as sports like skiing". 

And what about safety? 
"I would say that there has been a significant step forward. In fact, a figure has finally emerged who, together with surface medical personnel, deals solely with safety using increasingly precise and cutting-edge 'deep rescue' techniques". 

Performances have increased significantly. What do you attribute this to? 
"At a sporting level, there are multiple technical aspects that have favored the improvement of performances in recent years: the quality of physical training, which in the past was somewhat neglected, while now the mechanisms are being defined more specifically. In the past, there was a lot of focus on relaxation and breathing, which are still the basis of freediving and have been very well explored, perhaps at the expense of refining the training structure and the function of energy metabolism in deep immersion. Compensatory techniques have increased with the dissemination of advanced practices such as mouth-feel. New studies on equipment, biomechanics, and new material technologies have also been fundamental. To mention one, Cetma Composites is a leader in the design and production of specific equipment and was, in my opinion, the first company in the world to apply an engineering approach to this sector, which was previously predominantly artisanal. I have been collaborating with them for 9 years, and together we have developed many pieces of equipment, including the monofin and Taras fins. Michele Giurgola is the official tester, and without him, it would have been impossible to achieve the results obtained. During the testing phases, I provide my feedback by working on common projects. In doing so, I contribute using my athlete's sensitivity." 

Fishermen and freedivers: two worlds close but also... distant. What is the relationship between the two categories like? 
"Well, that's a hot question. I enjoy spearfishing; I started as a child following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather. As a child, it was the spark that made me fall in love with the sea, then as I grew up and became a freediver, I reduced the activity a lot, but I still enjoy going out occasionally to catch some fish to eat with friends or family. Unfortunately, I think there are numerous characters in this field who act like 'big shots'; I am very critical of certain negative behaviors that create emulation phenomena at the expense of safety. We need effective regulation; I believe it's important as a minimum requirement for fishing to have at least a freediving certification, so that one has the basic knowledge to tackle a practice that is still risky. I won't comment on the competitive aspect, but I want to emphasize my distance from that practice".