E25.1: Why Depth? - David Mellor

Alexandre is a French freediving athlete and coach with an unconventional background in risk management and geopolitics.He started his freediving education in 2010 and eventually left his corporate career in 2018 to dedicate himself to the sport.Now based in Dahab, he trains, competes, and coaches, with Free Immersion as his favourite discipline and a 92-metre personal best.Selected for the French national AIDA team for the 1st time this year, he just came back from the World Apnea Championships in Cyprus.His practice draws on years of yoga, mental preparation, and a deep respect for safety and training partners.Beyond numbers and depth, he is interested in what freediving reveals about our relationship with limits, uncertainty, and ourselves.Follow us on instagram @deepjoypodcast @alex_freedive @carospitzer

Today I'm speaking with Daniel Droste, a South African freediver and coach who grew up in Asia and swam competitively into his twenties. He discovered performance freediving in Egypt in 2020, progressed fast, then stalled at 70m.Adaptation training changed everything, letting him dive much deeper with ease. His approach focuses on finding joy in the dive, building a nervous system that feels safe underwater, and developing mental and physical adaptations on shallow dives.Now based in Portugal, Dan runs Kelpshark Freediving, an online coaching studio. Using adapted mouthfill and alternative breathwork strategies, he has helped dozens of divers add many meters to their PBs without simply "training harder."Follow us on instagram @deepjoypodcast @kelpsharkfreediving @carospitzer

Today I'm speaking with Viktoria Urbanek, a freediving instructor and competitive athlete, and founder of One Breath Austria. She holds several Austrian national records and has competed at multiple world championships. Though landlocked, Austria's lakes offer excellent training conditions, and Viktoria is building a freediving community around them, because for her, the sport only truly works within a strong, well-functioning community.Follow us on instagram @deepjoypodcast @viktoriaurbanek @carospitzer

In today's episode I'm speaking with Gen Morris.Living through the elements to find balance. Gen uses freediving to drop into the fluid stillness of water, climbing to connect with the raw strength of the rock, and kitesurfing to dance with the power of the wind. For over a decade, she’s been guiding people into the world of adventure sports, sharing how a deep conversation with earth, air, and water can ground the mind, build true resilience, and restore equilibrium to everyday life.Follow us on instagram @deepjoypodcast @gen.in.motion @carospitzer

Today's episode is the third and final episode of the little mini-series called "Why Depth?"For this series, I invited three different freedivers and asked them the exact same questions. Everyone comes from a different background, has different experiences, and their own relationship with depth. I was curious to see what would come up.Maybe these conversations will encourage you to reflect on your own reasons for diving. I don't think there's one right answer, but I do think understanding your answer can completely change the way you experience the sport.The third conversation is with Stefan Randig, a freediving athlete, multiple national record holder, Instructor Trainer, and coach with over 20 years of experience.And if you'd like to hear more from Stefan beyond this short conversation, make sure to check out his full episode previously recorded on the podcast.

Today's episode is the second of a little mini-series called "Why Depth?"For this series, I invited three different freedivers and asked them the exact same questions. Everyone comes from a different background, has different experiences, and their own relationship with depth. I was curious to see what would come up.Maybe these conversations will encourage you to reflect on your own reasons for diving. I don't think there's one right answer, but I do think understanding your answer can completely change the way you experience the sport.The second conversation is with Mickael Piccard, a French freediving and mental coach who works with divers at every level—from beginners to competitive athletes.And if you'd like to hear more from Micka beyond this short conversation, make sure to check out his full episode previously recorded on the podcast. 

This week's episode is going to be a little mini-series called "Why Depth?"For this series, I invited three different freedivers and asked them the exact same questions. Everyone comes from a different background, has different experiences, and their own relationship with depth. I was curious to see what would come up.Maybe these conversations will encourage you to reflect on your own reasons for diving. I don't think there's one right answer, but I do think understanding your answer can completely change the way you experience the sport.The first conversation is with David Mellor. David has been freediving for 13 years and competing for the last six. He's a multiple World Record holder, and the first 60-year-old to dive to 100 metres in competition.And if you'd like to hear more from David beyond this short conversation, make sure to check out his full episode previously recorded on the podcast.

Today I’m speaking to Andrea Marengo, an Italian freediving instructor and deep safety diver based in Dahab, Egypt. He works mainly as a deep safety diver for competitive athletes and in competitions, while also teaching safety courses and beginners.In this episode we dive deep into the safety aspect of Freediving and making the link to Andrea's past experience as a rafting guide and safety. Follow us o instagram @deepjoypodcast @andrea_marengo.9 @carospitzer

Stefan is a freediving athlete, Instructor Trainer, and coach with 20 years of experience. He is passionate about exploring our potential through breath, movement, and water. He believes in freediving not only as a sport, but also as a sustainable activity that can bring calm, health, and joy at any stage of life.Follow us on instagram: @deepjoypodcast @stefanrandig @carospitzer

Amira Khalil is a competitive Freediver and AIDA Instructor who believes that growth happens beyond comfort zones. After representing Egypt at the AIDA Pool World Championships, she continues to inspire others through teaching, coaching, and sharing the lessons learned both in and out of the water.Follow us on instagram @deepjoypodcast @amira.a.khalil @carospitzer