One Breath is a gripping & powerful exploration of the strange & fascinating sport of freediving & of the tragic untimely death of America's greatest freediver Competitive freediving-a sport built on diving as deep as possible on a single breath-tests the limits of human ability in the most hostile environment on earth The unique & eclectic breed of individuals who freedive at the highest level regularly dive hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface reaching such depths that their organs compress light disappears & one mistake could kill them Even among freedivers few have ever gone as deep as Nicholas Mevoli A handsome young American with an unmatched talent for the sport Nick was among freediving's brightest stars He was also an extraordinary individual one who rebelled against the vapid & commoditized society around him by relentlessly questing for something more meaningful & authentic whatever the risks So when Nick Mevoli arrived at Vertical Blue in 2013 the world's premier freediving competition he was widely expected to challenge records & continue his meteoric rise to stardom Instead before the end of that fateful competition Nick Mevoli had died a victim of the sport that had made him a star & the very future of free diving was called into question With unparalleled access & masterfully crafted prose One Breath tells his unforgettable story & of the sport which shaped & ultimately destroyed him