Swimming long distances, reaching one island from another, one bay from another and then looking back at the great distance I’d covered, became a way of life for me. I consider myself blessed and lucky to have grown up in this country with its endless blue, sun, and safe waters where you can swim endless distances, and I feel completely at home in the water. At the age of just 14, I started competitive swimming, and by 14 years later I’d participated in three Olympic Games, won 7 European medals, and reached 7 world championship finals.

My passion for sports never left me. I continued participating in open water races and have won over 20 open water competitions to date, including the Spetses Mini Marathon, the 5km and 3km swim, the Isthmus of Corinth, the 6km Paros-Antiparos race, and more. Although I’ve swum in Olympic Games alongside great athletes like Michael Phelps, if someone asked me when I’ve experienced the strongest feelings in the water, it’s undoubtedly when I’ve swum next to dolphins and felt like I was one with their school. Other experiences deeply etched in my memory are of swimming under the glorious Temple of Poseidon, god of the sea, and around picturesque Hydra, where the Greek Revolution began, a milestone in the history of my country.