After breaking world records and training movie stars, B.C. free diver becomes police dispatcher
For as long as Mandy-Rae Krack can recall, the water has inspired wonder.
“I was a water baby!” Mandy-Rae recalls before showing photos of herself as a baby in a pool and as a child wearing flippers and a snorkel by a lake. “I absolutely loved being underwater.”
While she made the most of living in nowhere-near-the-ocean Alberta by competing in synchronized swimming competitions, it was the discovery of a book about scuba diving in her high school library that proved to be a life-changer.
“There you go,” Mandy-Rae recalls thinking. “I’m going to be a dive instructor!”
So, after graduating, Mandy-Rae saved up enough money to by her own scuba equipment, drove out to the West Coast and became a certified instructor. Later, she was introduced to free diving.
“It just clicked,” Mandy-Rae appreciated the possibilities of diving unencumbered by oxygen tanks. “Animals approach you more readily and the world opened up.”
While she relished being able to swim effortlessly alongside humpback whales (with the photos to prove it), Mandy-Rae also realized she could dive deeper than anyone else she knew.
Thanks to a competitive spirit, strong work ethic, and innate talent, Mandy-Rae ended up setting more than a dozen national records and seven world records, including free-diving down 136 meters — deeper than the height of a 43-storey building.
“And you’re like, ‘Wow! I’m at world record depth,’” Mandy-Rae recalls with a laugh. “And then you’re like, ‘OK! I've got to get up!’ And you snap back to reality and start making your way back-up (to the surface) because you’re only halfway there.”
Mandy-Rae’s accomplishments under the sea led her to train Olympic athletes, special ops, and iconic golfers (Tiger Woods).
She was also featured on the Oprah Winfrey show after working with magician David Blaine, and played a pivotal role in the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove."
The list of movie stars she’s worked with includes Tom Cruise, who was taught how to hold his breath underwater for six minutes to film a scene for "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation."
“(Tom Cruise) was a very nice guy,” Mandy-Rae says before snapping her fingers. “He picks up stuff like that. Amazing student.”
But after taking time to focus on raising her daughter, Mandy-Rae sold her business and found herself looking for a new career during the pandemic.
“It was frightening trying to get back into the job market,” Mandy-Rae recalls.
Though she had many transferable skills after running her business, employers seemed reluctant to hire a 47-year-old without a diploma, until Mandy-Rae happened upon an online posting for a job that required the sort of skills you can’t teach that she had — stepping up and staying calm during dangerous situations.
“They could see what I could bring to the table and not dock me for being old,” Mandy-Rae says. She was hired to be a 9-1-1 police dispatcher.
After working as a dispatcher for a few years now, Mandy-Rae says it's proving to be just as exciting, challenging, and satisfying as being a diver.
“Teaching free diving was opening somebody up to the possibilities of what they achieve,” Mandy-Rae says. “(Being a dispatcher) I could also make a significant impact in someone’s life by bettering the outcome of a situation.”
And whether you're training to be the world's best or striving to make your community safer, Mandy-Rae says the key is to "dive deep."
“If you have a thought and you want to try something, go full into it and it can happen,” Mandy-Rae smiles.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Child under 5 dies of measles in Ontario: PHO
A young child under the age of 5, who was not immunized against the virus, has died of measles in the province, a new surveillance report from Public Health Ontario confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
French police fatally shoot a man suspected of setting fire to a synagogue
French police shot and killed a man armed with a knife and a metal bar who is suspected of having set fire to a synagogue in the Normandy city of Rouen early on Friday, the latest apparent act in a storm of antisemitism roiling France amid the Israel-Hamas war.
NEW 'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.