When you feel the need to speed up, slow down | Kimi Werner | TEDxMaui

Summary

In this inspiring narrative, a freediving champion shares profound advice from world champion Martin Stepanek: 'When you feel the need to speed up, slow down.' This mantra not only guided her to personal diving records but also shaped her approach to life's challenges. From a childhood spent spearfishing with her father to facing a great white shark, she emphasizes the importance of calmness and conscious decision-making. Her journey from competitive freediving to advocating for sustainable hunting and conservation illustrates the transformative power of slowing down, even when societal pressures urge us to accelerate.

Takeaways

• 🌊 The advice to 'slow down when you feel the need to speed up' is crucial for freediving, as it conserves oxygen and keeps the heart rate low, allowing for clear thinking and good decision-making.
• 🦈 Facing a great white shark required the speaker to stay calm and apply the same strategy used in spearfishing, which led to a peaceful encounter instead of a dangerous one.
• 🏠 Growing up in a close-knit family with a strong connection to nature and spearfishing, the speaker's father taught her to snorkel at a young age, instilling a deep love for the ocean.
• 🌱 Despite moving to a more 'modern' life, the speaker felt a longing for the simple life of her childhood and the joy of diving with her father.
• 🎣 Returning to freediving was a way for the speaker to reconnect with her roots and find happiness in a meaningful way, even if it wasn't a conventional career path.
• 🏆 Winning the National Championship and being named Rookie of the Year brought the speaker recognition and fame, but it also led to an obsession with winning that took away from the joy of diving.
• 🏋️‍♀️ The speaker realized that the pressure to compete and win was not fulfilling and decided to step back from the competitive scene to focus on what truly mattered to her.
• 🌐 Traveling and diving without the pressure of competition allowed the speaker to explore different cultures, learn about their fishing practices, and connect with communities on a deeper level.
• 🐠 The speaker's video about her encounter with a great white shark and her philosophy on life resonated with viewers, inspiring them to respect nature and reconsider their perspectives on hunting and conservation.
• 🌱 The speaker advocates for a harmonious approach to hunting and conservation, believing that both can coexist for a sustainable future.

Q & A

What advice did Martin Stepanek give to the speaker before a freediving attempt?

Martin Stepanek advised the speaker to slow down when they feel the need to speed up, emphasizing the importance of calmness and control in freediving.

Why is it crucial to slow down while freediving according to the speaker?

Slowing down conserves oxygen, keeps the heart rate low, and allows for clearer thinking and better decision-making, which are essential for safety and efficiency in freediving.

How does the speaker apply the concept of slowing down in a life-threatening situation with a great white shark?

The speaker applied the concept by staying calm and swimming directly towards the shark, which paradoxically caused the shark to back off, demonstrating the effectiveness of composure in stressful situations.

What childhood activity did the speaker engage in with their father that later influenced their freediving?

The speaker used to snorkel and dive with their father from the age of 5, which instilled a deep connection with the ocean and laid the foundation for their freediving skills.

How did the speaker's upbringing influence their perspective on a simple life versus societal progress?

The speaker's upbringing in a close-knit family with a strong connection to nature made them value simplicity and self-sufficiency, even as they later experienced the benefits of societal progress and material wealth.

What made the speaker decide to leave their job in Honolulu and pursue freediving full-time?

The speaker felt a longing for the simpler, more connected life of their childhood and was drawn back to the joy and freedom of diving, which led to the decision to leave their job and pursue freediving.

How did the speaker's approach to spearfishing change after becoming a national champion?

After becoming a national champion, the speaker began to view fish more as points in competition rather than as a source of food, which led to a loss of personal fulfillment and happiness.

What was the turning point for the speaker that made them reevaluate their competitive diving career?

The speaker realized they were no longer enjoying the act of diving for its own sake and were instead focused on winning and defending titles, which led to a sense of dissatisfaction and a desire to return to the essence of why they started diving.

How did the speaker's decision to leave competitive diving affect their relationships and reputation?

The speaker faced criticism and was labeled a quitter and a waste of talent, but they also gained new supporters and sponsors who appreciated their return to a more sustainable and meaningful approach to diving.

What message does the speaker hope to convey through their experiences and the video 'Variables'?

The speaker aims to merge the worlds of hunting and conservation, promote responsible hunting, and encourage a deeper respect for ecosystems and the interconnectedness of all life.

How does the speaker define success in the context of their freediving and spearfishing experiences?

Success for the speaker is not measured by titles or trophies but by living a life that is true to their values, connected to nature, and in harmony with the world around them.