Şahika Ercümen is a national athlete active in the discipline of free diving. She has represented Türkiye in national and international competitions and has set multiple records. She has also received formal training as a nutrition and dietetics expert. She participates in social responsibility projects and conducts work on environmental issues.

Şahika Ercümen was born on 16 January 1985 in Çanakkale. She struggled with severe asthma from an early age. Due to this illness, she was introduced to sports, and the breathing exercises she performed during childhood became the first steps toward her future successes. A turning point in her life occurred during a sailing club excursion in high school. On that day, for the first time, Ercümen came into close contact with the sea and discovered her interest in diving. She described this moment with the words: “For me, life did not begin when I took my first breath, but when I held my breath.”

After graduating from Çanakkale Milli Piyango Anadolu Lisesi, she pursued her education in the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Başkent University in Ankara. She is currently continuing her postgraduate studies at the same university. She speaks English and German at an advanced level.

^{Dominika Uluslararası Serbest Dalış Turnuvası (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

In her sporting career, she has also competed in underwater hockey and swimming, but achieved international success primarily in free diving. Since 1998, she has won over 100 medals in national and international competitions and set numerous Turkish records.

A significant turning point in her career came during a period when she could not secure sponsorship. She participated in the Fear Factor competition and used the prize money she won to fund her first official record attempt, breaking both the women’s and men’s records by swimming 110 meters under ice.

In 2023, during a record attempt held in Hatay’s Yayladağı Karamağara Bay in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Republic, she dove to a depth of 106 meters in the variable weight no fins category, setting a new world record. In the same year, at the World Free Diving Cup held in the Bahamas, she reached a depth of 100 meters in 3 minutes and 14 seconds, becoming the holder of the Turkish record.

In 2025, at the International Free Diving Tournament held in Dominica, she won first place in the fixed weight, double fin, and no fins with rope assistance categories, earning a total of three gold and two silver medals. She dedicated this achievement to 19 May Youth and Sports Day.

^{Dominika Uluslararası Serbest Dalış Turnuvası sonrası (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

As a United Nations Advocate for Life Below Water, Ercümen works on issues related to the protection of water resources, the sustainability of marine habitats, and environmental awareness. She also organizes diving activities with people with disabilities and runs educational projects for children. She announced that the proceeds from her record attempt in Hatay would be used to provide sports and education scholarships to 100 girls. She continues to dedicate her dives to social responsibility projects to raise awareness about the impact of plastic waste on marine life.

^{"Sudaki Yaşam Savunucusu" Şahika Ercümen (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Ercümen has also participated in various advertising and film projects, appearing in the film “İçimdeki Balık” and making appearances on television programs such as Survivor Türkiye. She is the author of the children’s books “Denizkızı” and “Delfi”.