Blue Element Freediving Competition 2024
Another competition, another medal, another personal record.
Five days of competing, five white cards (successful dives) in three disciplines, with the final dive reaching 70 metres with bi-fins. Seventy metres deep in the ocean with one breath, a dive that I was immensely proud of.
Not only because it’s a gigantic number to reach down and up with one breath, but also because I knew I had gone through a multitude of obstacles, and came back to achieve something that I thought was far beyond my reach, with a body and mind that were capable of withstanding a lot more than I thought they could.
So much goes behind a medal.
Being an athlete is not easy, even for a sport that is heavy on “relaxation”. In addition to the deep dives and physical training routine, diet, determination, time and financial investment, there is also dealing with setbacks, managing injuries and the mental challenges that come with them, being disciplined about rest, and being able to adapt and reprioritise goals.
I don’t consider myself a competitive freediver, neither was I an overly sporty person. Having said that, this was my second freediving competition which I dedicated my vacations to. Despite the pressure to perform, I do enjoy having some goals to keep me motivated and inspired to reach a little further (or deeper in this case). One of the most fascinating things about pushing yourself is that you get to see what happens, whether or not the result is what you were aiming for, you are assured to learn something.
Experiment Time!
One of my favourite changes in myself in the last few years is the experimentation mentality that I came to fully embrace. So with no surprise, I took this opportunity to experiment with a few things while preparing for the competition.
I hired a coach who is a world record-level athlete himself, with a decade of experience training himself to become a 120+m diver.
I took up a physical training routine that requires more time dedication and more intense physical workouts than I had ever taken on. Squats, pullups, balance, core muscles, lungs and shoulders stretching, combined with apnea walks and FRC (exhale dives) for lung flexibility.
I switched up my equalisation and diving techniques to see how I feel with different movements. Trying Mouthfill with constant pressure instead of sequential, bringing arms up before pulling in Free Immersion, and raising elbows and narrowing the kicks in No Fins. I also tried charging deeper and charging twice with Mouthfill, tried breathing up upright or lying on my back, tried packing with a snorkel…
Not every experiment ended with success, but that’s the fun of experimenting! You try something new, you analyse and learn, you adjust accordingly, and you try something else. I learned a ton in this process and had fun doing it too.
Working Through Trauma
I was recovering from a mental trauma (which I talked about in more depth in another blog) from last year’s competition (my first freediving competition) where I over-stretched myself. I had some goals that I wanted to achieve and so I pushed myself to reach for a couple of deep dives that were hard for me. I completed the dives, got a few medals, and had no injury or incident. I was very happy. But after the comp finished and a full week’s rest, I noticed that I started having “nervous contractions” during the descent of a dive, which had never happened before.
I spoke to many other freedivers, took advice from some of them to get rest which didn’t help, then took advice from the rest of them to continue training which also didn’t help. Those nervous contractions stayed with me for months to come, sometimes more severe than others. I even tried EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) which is a psychotherapy that helps people recover from past trauma, and it didn’t have any noticeable effect either.
After months of rest, and training, and therapy, and more rest and more training, I was finally slowly getting back to my pre-trauma level of performance and diving sensations. Those contractions still happen in some dives, but I was seeing hope, and I thought what didn’t kill me would make me stronger as now I have learned how to dive with contractions.
Dealing With Injuries
Then, just as I was starting to feel good and achieving new personal records which was bringing me more confidence, I suffered an injury – my first-ever lung squeeze.
It was not a serious injury by any measure. I had noticed a little discomfort in my lungs after a new PB (Personal Best) dive of 72 m (which was quite usual for me after a deep dive). Then ten minutes later while I was sitting on the platform, I noticed a tiny dot (like a grain of rice) of orange (blood) in my spit, which was an indication of a squeeze. Judging by the colour and texture, it was probably a lung squeeze rather than a trachea squeeze. However, I had no urge to cough and did not continue to spit out blood, though my lungs still felt a bit sensitive with a big inhale. My blood O2 saturation was a little low for a couple of hours, but went back to 98% the next day.
The most difficult aspect was dealing with the worrying mind. I know myself to be risk-averse and prone to worry. I started becoming paranoid and kept thinking about different scenarios. What if this was not the first time that my lungs were injured, but I just didn’t know it before? How healed are they now? What if they are still injured or have weak scar tissues that will be torn apart again if I continue to dive deep? Will it cause lasting damage that I have to carry with me for the rest of my life? I only have two days to rest before the competition starts, should I just quit competing in this occasion?
In the end, I did what I do best - gather data, analyse it, and try my best to make an informed decision. I decided that it was not a very bad injury, and I will continue diving, but play it safe by starting with a shallow dive to see how I feel. If needed, I was prepared to abort the competition to prioritise my health and safety.
Competition Strategy
I had several ideas of depth goals before the start of the competition, but with the injury just before the comp, my top goal now became NO INJURY during the comp.
In a freediving competition, you have to announce your target depth and discipline the day before the dive. And on the day, if you successfully complete the announced dive and finish it with the correct surface protocol without breaking any competition rules, you get awarded a White Card which signifies a successful and qualified dive. You don’t have the option to change, increase or decrease, the announced depth on the day.
I had a hard time deciding my announcement each day. I didn’t have a strategy anymore because I was so unsure about my body (and mind) after the injury that I had no idea what I would be capable of doing. A couple of close friends acted as my comp strategist and helped me flush out my options. Some planning is necessary and beneficial, but in this case, it’s also really important to take each day as it comes, see how each dive plays out, and call the next move.
I decided to start with an “easy” dive to check lungs. Picking my favourite discipline (at the time, since it had changed a few times in the last couple of years), I announced 50m Constant Weight Bi-Fins - about 20m less than my PB, so it should be a fairly easy dive on a normal day.
I slept terribly due to the heat and mosquitos, and probably primarily the nerves. But the next day I made the dive with reasonable ease and grace. My SpO2 was 98% before and 96% after. Lungs felt okay, only very slight sensitivity on full inhale after coming back to shore. The good feeling during the dive was what I needed to reassure me that I was ok again and could do more.
Then 70 became my new goal - given the pre-comp training progress but also taking into account the injury.
Results
Following the White Card on Day 1, I successfully completed all four dives that I attempted on the rest of the comp days:
66m FIM (Free Immersion) - matching my last comp PB
36 CNF (Constant Weight No Fins) - the hardest discipline but a relatively easy dive to conserve energy and the lungs
65m CWTB (Constant Weight Bi-Fins) - a slightly challenging dive to secure a white card
70m CWTB - my goal for this competition, achieved on the last day!
These dives also earned me 2nd place for FIM, 2nd place for CWTB, 3rd place for CNF, and a beautifully designed Bronze medal for women’s overall.
Freedivers always say that freediving competition is a competition against ourselves. We are pushing our Personal Best and personal limits, while aiming to obtain White Cards whatever the announced dives are, whatever our levels are. I do think that is true, though it takes some mental strength to compete alongside world record holders and full-time athletes. It was impressive to see the focus and dedication they have for this sport.
Learning
Freediving is very much a mental sport, but it is also physically demanding in its unique way, which means to excel you must put in hard work on both aspects.
During this round of training and competition, I upped the level of the game and pushed myself to new limits.
I learned about rigour in creating training plans, and the discipline in executing the plans.
I learned to listen to my body intently, and listen to my mind discerningly.
I learned to adapt to unexpected turns of events and adjust my expectations accordingly.
I learned that having the right fit is important when getting a coach, though there is probably something to learn from every coach.
And as was with other medals I earned in my life, it taught me something about myself, something about friendship, and something about humanity.
I learned that Authenticity isn’t always easy, that’s why it’s so precious.
It made me more convinced that there are more important things than achieving goals and winning medals in life.
It brought me a more profound appreciation for the love and care that my family and friends have shown me that is not conditional on my success or what I bring to the table, nor are they only there on the good days.
I remind myself to have appreciation for the brightness of humanity - authenticity, generosity, and kindness; and empathy for the darkness - insecurity, jealousy, and insolence, for they are the two sides that add sophistication and challenge that makes this journey of life interesting.
Competition photographers: Allie Reilly and Kyla Mclay
