In this episode, we sit down and chat with French freediver and record-holder Thibault Guignes. Thibault is a highly experienced competitive diver, instructor trainer, and business owner. Having dove up to -120 meters on one breath, and known for his impressive hangs at depth, he is one of the most experienced freedivers in the world. I have personally seen him do hangs up to 45 seconds at -90 meters to prepare both mind and body for going even deeper. He is known for doing even more impressive feats, all the while being one of the most safety-focused divers I’ve met. As an instructor trainer, he ran the famous Freedive HQ in Cebu, Philippines, and is now opening his new school, Camotes Freediving,  just a short ferry ride from Cebu City. 

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.