A Spanish athlete spent 500 days in a cave isolated from the world: what she said when she left and why she did it

A Spanish elite athlete who passed 500 isolated days in a cavewith no direct outside contact or natural light, he surfaced this Friday stating what the experience had been “excellent, second to none”.

“I haven’t talked to anyone for a year and a half, only myself”, Beatriz Flamini told reporters after leaving, helped by speleologists, from a cave located about 10 kilometers from Motril (Andalusia, south), where she spent 500 days at a depth of 70 metres.

But Flamini had books, artificial light and cameras to record his experience neither telephone nor tools to check the weatherand was supported by a technical team who left food for her at one point in the cave without having contact with her.

“I don’t know what happened in the world (…) for me it is still November 21, 2021“, the first day in the cave, “and seeing you all wearing a mask, for me it is still (the) covid (pandemic)” said Flamini, 50, referring to journalists, who wore a mask for safety.

“There have been many such challenges, but none with all the premises that have been marked: alone and in total isolation, without contact with the outside world, without (natural) light, without time references”, said David Reyes, of the Andalusian Federation of Speleology, who was in charge of Flamini’s safety.

Experience, that will be subject of a documentary from the Spanish production house Dokumaliahad as one of his goals to see the mental and physical repercussions of an isolation like this.

It was “a test of extreme resistance”, estimated on public television the Minister of Tourism, Héctor Gómez, who said he hoped that scientist “this test is of great value.”

“The ship sets off again for a journey that will last 500 days (…) We met again in April/May 2023”, wrote Flamini in instagram in November 2021, two days before starting your experience.

“There have been difficult moments and it is true that there have been very good moments and both have been the ones who have managed to achieve” the goal, said this athlete who in the past spent periods of isolation on the tops of the mountains at the press conference , as reported in instagram.

Stating that he “never” ever thought of leaving, not even when he was in pain an invasion of flies Inside the cave, she said she spent her time “reading, writing, drawing, knitting, being, having fun.”

“I haven’t talked to myself out loud, the conversations I’ve had, I’ve had absolutely internally,” she said.

“I got along really well with myself,” she added with a smile.