William Trubridge is the world’s deepest man, with an unassisted freediving record to 102m or 334 feet. He holds eighteen freediving records and six world champion titles, and is able to hold his breath for over seven minutes. He has spent an extraordinary amount time in and around the ocean in his lifetime, completing nearly unfathomable underwater challenges. William offers a fascinating way of translating his freediving techniques into the everyday world and he shares them here.
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Quick Links
Dean’s blue hole
Trublue Foundation
Hector’s Dolphin and Maui Dolphin
Vaquita Dolphin
Mammalian diving reflex
Styrofoam Cups Under Pressure
Mentalimmunesystem.com
Show Notes
0:08 William started freediving when he was just eight years old while living on a sailboat with his family in his early childhood. Later in life he rekindled this passion and began his career in freediving.
3:33 For William, the drive to go deeper is his love for a challenge. In the sport of freediving, there are both physical and mental challenge involved, and he thrives on exploring and challenging human potential in the liquid realm.
5:57 Using his background in biology, William applies the scientific method to the sport of freediving by investigating his own physiological capabilities.
6:56 “Think less, feel more” William stresses the importance of mindset in his sport. Mental preparation is everything- stripping away emotion and removing all negative thoughts is a priority for performance.
10:49 Diving down to the depths that William has gone reveals the dark depths of the ocean. He talks about dealing with the emersion into darkness and why he closes his eyes for most of the dives.
13:17 With his platform, William wanted to bring awareness to various conservation issues. Through the Trublue Foundation, he shares about the endangered Hector’s Dolphins, and their subspecies the Maui Dolphins to stress the importance of biodiversity.
16:30 William discusses another initiative that he is passionate about: plastic pollution.
22:38 Breathing techniques are at the forefront on freediving. William discusses some basic and advanced breathing techniques which he implements into his freediving.
28:04 William discusses how breathing techniques in freediving can be applied on land as well. Practicing breathing techniques and transferring to the subconscious can be beneficial for dealing with everyday stresses or anxieties.
33:01 Unlike most athletes, calm is the name of the game for free divers. William speaks to the importance of this to his sport.
35:12 William’s favorite sea creature is a seahorse because they seem to pop up during important moments in his life.
36:29 What does the ocean mean to William? Short answer, everything!
37:01 With a blank cheque William would focus on three main goals: to reduce plastic pollution at the source, set up as many protected areas as possible, and work to protect every threatened species in the ocean.
38:56 William shares an incredible field story where he had the chance to stare into the soul of a whale.
42:01 William’s conservation ask is to recognize the ocean as a home, try freediving to build a deeper connection with it, and be a steward in its conservation.
42:56 Connect with William!