In this episode, we have something unique and unusual: one of the world's top climbers joining us here: Will Gadd. I sat down for a live, unscripted event in Squamish, British Columbia (the outdoor sports capital of Canada) with Will during the ArcTeryx festival.

This last-minute event turned out to be a local hit among the outdoors crowd of Squamish with over 100 people showing up and tuning in. All the proceeds for this live event went directly to The Power of Play, a local charity that builds playgrounds for children in war-torn countries. 

Will and I sat down, unscripted, in front of a beautiful crowd and just went straight into it from the first minute: talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of extreme sports. We touched on sports psychology, mental training, the difficulties of a sports/athlete life, and the loss/pain/suffering that naturally come with it. 

Will Gadd is a Red Bull and ArcTeryx athlete and arguably one of the best all-around climbers in the world. The most fascinating part of his aura, however, is his approach to safety, risk, and the mental game of extreme situations. 

Jani is a medical doctor, neurosurgeon, deep freediver, and Peruvian record holder…and I’ll stop there since his CV and accomplishments continue for pages. Jani advises the medical community on freediving, he sits on the board of important organizations like DAN.org for critical research in our sport. Without him, competitions and organizations like AIDA and CMAS would not know how to apply the latest safety and medical standards in world championships. 

He is the one bridging the freediving community and medical community on the spirit, safety and health of our sport. Providing insights and knowledge in order to break down stereotypes such as the incorrectly perceived dangers of freediving. 

Please sit back and enjoy this episode. 

In this episode, we delve into profound topics.  We engage in an open conversation about mental health issues and depression, subjects rarely discussed among athletes who consistently perform at their peak. Gary's philosophy on deep freediving, characterized by a strong emphasis on safety, has developed over 15 years and is viewed as a lifelong journey. His gradual approach included a leisurely descent to -100 meters to celebrate his 40th birthday last year, preparing his mind for the eventual national record. Now, he stands poised for even greater achievements.

Additionally, we provide valuable training insights, including Gary's preferred supplements to maintain peak physical condition during intense training and effective warm-up techniques you can incorporate into your routine.

It is our honor to introduce you to Gary, a person we deeply respect, a cherished friend, and a guiding mentor. Gary possesses one of the most resilient mental fortitudes in the world of freediving.

As an accomplished athlete with multiple German records and an instructor trainer, Stefan recently participated in the Vertical Blue competition and is now training hard to achieve his goal of an 80-meter no fins dive. During our conversation with him in Dahab, we delved into the challenges of balancing family life with the rigorous demands of being a competitive diver and elite athlete. We discussed the necessary level of self-centeredness required for success in athletics and the accompanying feelings of guilt. Stefan's experience can serve as a source of inspiration for any freedivers who are passionate about the sport but also want to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Tune in to the Alchemy Podcast to hear more from Stefan Randig.

Freediving is an immensely emotional and psychological endeavor, so how does this affect other aspects of your life? How can you find the energy to balance multiple things such as family, friends, work, training, and competitions? One of the pillars of ancient Greek Stoic philosophy was to acknowledge that, “you have to direct your actions accordingly: your energy in this world is finite”. This includes our mental and emotional energy, and freediving is a sport that drains from that reservoir. 

So, today we will hear about Enchante’s experience being a national and (now) continental record holder, one of the deepest women in the world, a wonderful mother, friend, community member, and adventurous traveler. How does she do it all? How does she balance this incredible life? 

Gus is a deep freediver, accomplishing over 100 meters on one breath at the Vertical Blue competition in 2018, a well-respected coach in our community and runs his school Touch Down Space in Dahab, Egypt. 

He has an immense amount of knowledge when it comes to training and performance, however, he is also very much fascinated by the emotional, mental, and psychological aspects of performance athletics, specifically freediving. 

Today, we will discuss a topic most don’t talk about, “Sex, Self Love & Freediving”. This touches on subjects that many might consider " sensitive " based on cultural background, religion, and nationality. Regardless, they are very important in the world of an athlete’s mind and although our intention is not to offend, it kind of is. So, be advised dear listener, there might be some questionable language and topics in this interview, but please know it is a REAL conversation, it comes from the heart and soul and is meant to break down the common barriers we have placed upon ourselves. 

I had the pleasure of being stuck on Siquijor Island, Philippines with Thibault for four months during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We ran a training camp there at Siqujior Freedivers, and subsequently got stuck on the island. With no lockdown or quarantine, we dove every day in what will always be one of the most memorable experiences in my freediving career. 

In this episode, I sit down and talk to Thibault about some tough things. With his experience and years in the game, he’s seen quite a few things: major accidents he suffered himself and seen friends suffer and overcome great difficulties. These are things we don’t always see on social media’s glass façade, but there are dark truths behind any performance-based sport at the elite level. Shit happens. How we deal with it, overcome it, and be strengthened by it are the lessons worth knowing and sharing. It’s my pleasure to sit down with my friend and coach Thibault, grab a beer, and chat about some real issues that the freediving community can benefit from listening to. 

In this first episode, we’ll sit down with Harry Chammas, a well-known freediver, UK national record holder, and much-respect coach based out of Dahab, Egypt. Harry runs his school Freedive Passion from there, where he specializes in teaching students the skills you need for real deep freediving. Make sure to give him a shout if you’re in Dahab. 

For the first episode, Harry and I will chat about what is this love, passion, and addiction for narcosis, the feelings of being really deep, and question "Why The F*** Go Deep"? We’ll also chat about psychedelics, out-of-body experiences, and how these are thought to be - by some - beneficially used in performance sports like freediving. 

Stay tuned and thanks for joining us.