Spanish athlete emerges from cave after 500 days underground
Beatriz Flamini, 50, entered the cave on Nov. 21, 2021, to learn about the effects of solitude and deprivation on the human mind and body.
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Beatriz Flamini, a mountaineer and climber, lived in a 70-meter-deep cave outside Granada, Spain, for the sake of science.
(UPI) -- A Spanish extreme athlete emerged from a cave in Grenada after spending 500 solitary days 230 feet underground.
Beatriz Flamini, 50, entered the cave on Nov. 21, 2021, with an aim to learn about the effects of solitude and deprivation on the human mind and body.
Flamini, who was monitored from afar by a team of scientists from the universities of Almeria, Granada and Murcia, said she lost count of the days after about two months, and thought only 160-170 days had elapsed when she reached the project's goal of 500 days.
The athlete said she passed the time during her stay in cave by reading, writing, drawing, exercising and knitting.
"For me at least, as an elite extreme sportswoman, the most important thing is being very clear and consistent about what you think and what you feel and what you say," Flamini told a news conference after exiting the cave. "It's true that there were some difficult moments, but there were also some very beautiful moments -- and I had both as I lived up to my commitment to living in a cave for 500 days."
Flamini's support team said she read 60 books during her 500 days in the cave. Two cameras documented her time underground for an upcoming documentary about the project.
The athlete's time in the cave is believed to be a new world record for the longest time spent alone in a cave, but it was unclear whether Guinness World Records has a category for the achievement.
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