The Deep Joy Podcast

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.