The Freedive Cafe Podcast Donny Mac - Freediver

Stefan Randig is a German competitive freediver based in Dahab, Egypt. He first appeared on episode #10 of The Freedive Cafe:

https://freedivecafe.com/2017/10/01/10-stefan-randig-freedive-panglao/

In this episode we discuss:

The last time Stefan and I talked was in 2017, on episode #10 of The Freedive Cafe! (link above)
What happened to Freedive Panglao?
Stefan started his freediving journey in Dahab.
Shout out to our colleagues in The Philippines.
Dahab during COVID times.
What's it like to raise a child in Dahab?
Shout out to Carlos Diezel of Dahab Freedivers.
At the time of recording Stefan was fresh back from Vertical Blue 2022, how was his experience?
Shout out to Stefan's coach Dean Chaouche
Stefan got a new National Record for CNF with a dive of 77m.
Stefan is actually younger than Donny! So he should pay more respect to Donny!
Stefan's approach to training.
How the freediving lifestyle influences motivation.
Stefan hasn't blacked out yet in his career.
The difficulty of getting paid sponsorship in freediving.
Stefan's plans for 2023.
About the Deepspot challenge.
Thoughts on getting to Blue Element in Dominica in 2023.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVE
A shout out to some special people.

Jordy Duncan is not only my awesome co-host on the Freediving Journal News Dispatch, but an up and coming elite freediver in her own right. 

Jordy has only been diving for around 2 years but has managed to achieve distances in the pool of more than 200m, which for me is an absolutely mind-blowing achievement!
 
Perhaps more interesting than Jordy's rapid rise as a freediving athlete is to see that in the context of where she's coming from.... Jordy has struggled with an eating disorder for much of her life and her discovery of freediving and applying herself to it has been instrumental in her recovery.

In this episode we discuss:

Jordy is originally from Townsville, North Queensland, and is now located in Brisbane.
Shout out to Townsville and Cairns folks!
Shout out to Jack Webb at Freedive Far North Queensland.
Shout out to Ant Judge.
Getting burnt out at a young age from swimming.
Weight gain after quitting swimming.
Start of a party lifestyle and drinking a lot.
The development of Jordy's bulimia and what bulimia nervosa is as a medical condition.
Crying out for help and not knowing how to ask.
Jordy was offically diagnosed with bulimia nervosa at age 21.
Working ski-seasons on Japan and France.
First time going to hospital for recovery.
Did Jordy know how underweight she had become?
Why is bulimia a taboo subject?
Comparing alcoholism and eating disorders.
Jordy's discovery of freediving through Tinder!
Black-outs and an underwater black-out.
Starting coaching with Samo Jeranko (#87)
Moving in with Amber Bourke! (#40)
Jordy is one of the best pool freedivers in the world and only getting better!
How, where and when does Jordy train?
Goal to compete at AIDA Pool World Championships in June.
Let's help Jordy get to South Korea!
Jordy works for the Queensland state government in human resources.
Jordy's plans for 2023.
The ongoing struggle of our conditions and addictions.
How does Jordy fuel herself for training now, and deal with food and the complicated issues she has with it?
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive
Shout out to special people.
Why does she freedive?

Pete Botman is a Canadian/Dutch freediving athlete and instructor based in Dahab, Egypt. He is a 100m+ diver,  multiple World Record holder in the CMAS Master's category and didn't start freediving until he was later in his forties.

In this episode we discuss:

Pete was born and raised in Canada but grew up speaking Dutch.
He joined the swim team and competed at quite a high level until aged 16.
Teaching, coaching, lifeguarding, and cross-country skiing.
How difficult is cross country skiiing?
The possibilities of youth and hangovers!
Pete didn't start freediving until he was about 46 years old!
About 10 years as a PADI scuba instructor leading up to freediving.
Coming out of an awesome 2022 season for Pete.
Pete and Olga Rodnova run Personal Best freediving together in Dahab, Egypt and Kas, Turkey.
The difficulties of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on running a business.
How to juggle training and teaching?
Shout out to David Mellor and his first 100m dives!
Stumbling blocks with throat squeezes and how Pete overcame them.
Reverse packing and squeezing.
Pete was 59 old years at the time of the interview.
Age is no barrier to freediving!
'Freediving is just about getting back up" ;)
Donny gets 'narced' from dives deeper than 60m!
Is narcosis just about nitrogen or are the other gases involved, too?
Pete achieved world record in many disciplines in the Master's category in the CMAS Outdoor World Championship.
The last championship and a rivalry with Jesper Stechmann and Jens Stoetzner.
About being coaching to Giorgos Panagiotakis? 
Swimming with dolphins is the best kind of CO2 training!
Comparing Egypt and Taiwan's climate.
What does training session, week, look like for Pete?
Fondly remembering the beer-can-in-the-ass chicken and thoughts on nutrition.
Shout out to the Ukrainians who can't be diving right now!
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive
Shout out to some special people!
Why does he freedive?

Tito Zappalà is an Italian freediver and coach. He worked under the eye of Andrea Zuccari at Freediving World in Sharm el-Sheikh for five years before moving up to Dahab when he currently lives and coaches.

In this episode we discuss:

Tito and Kat's plans for the winter.
Only 3 people in 7 years who pissed him off!
Tito is from the galaxy and the stars, and ... specifically from Sicily, Italy.
Early start in freediving, spearfishing with his father.
Selling the family gold for a Gopro.
Tito's early work as an underwater photographer.
Starting work with Andrea Zuccari at Freediving World.
Working for Andrea for 5 years.
Why did Tito move up to Dahab.
Shout out to Kat4dive!
Shout out to Gus Kreivenas!
Tito's style of teaching and coaching in Dahab.
Shout out to Ali of Aqua Maria! The episode before this one!
Tito's first competition in the Blue Hole in 2021.
Jumping from 80m to 100m in two dives!
Tito's first 100m dive,
Tito's World Record attempt in Variable Weight (VWT)
What is Variable Weight?
Shout out to Walid Boudhiaf and his 150m World Record in VWT.
Shout out to Marco Nones!
Shout out to Carlos Diezel of Dahab Freedivers
Shout out to Stavros Kastrinakis of Freediving Club Greece.
Detailed information on the training process for the World Record attempt.
Is another attempt on the books?
Biggest mistakes in freediving safety?
Top tips for freediving equalisation.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive
Why does he freedive?

Ali Okab is the boss and face of the world-famous Aqua Marina, located right at the Blue Hole north of Dahab, Egypt.

His restaurant is the starting point for all freediving adventures in the Blue Hole and the de facto family house for freedivers from all over the world.

In this episode we discuss:

Ali's full name is Ali Rekab Ali Ali Okab.
Aqua Marina is a home for all the freedivers of the world.
The challenges of running a restaurant at the Blue Hole.
Ali's realisation about freediving and its people through the trials of the COVID era.
Ali is from Alexandria.
He was working as a taxi driver before moving to Sinai.
Ali's initial confusion about the sport of freediving.
A free freediving course from Lotta Ericson.
Ali has been at the Blue Hole for 23 years!
About the special service offered by Ali at Aqua Marina.
The amazing food and the good price!
AIDA supplied a defibrillator for the restaurant.
How freediving in the Blue Hole has changed over the years.
How to look after and care for this unique environment.
Shout out to Mohammend, the thinking mind!
Ali's new place in Dahab town.

Kateryna Sadurska is a multiple record holder and Ukrainian champion. 
Kat has a background as a synchronised swimmer and even made it to the Olympics in Rio to represent Ukraine in that sport, and later turned her attention to our wonderful sport of freediving where she has rapidly been rising to the elite levels, especially in her pool performances.
 
In this episode we discuss:

Katerina is from Mykolaiv, Ukraine.
She has a background in synchronised swimming and did that for 17 years.
Going to the Olympics and World Championships to compete.
How Kat discovered freediving through underwater photography.
Comparison of breath-holding skills in freediving and synchronised swimming.
A first freediving competition in Poland.
A first national record of 175m in dynamic monofin!
A first depth course in Odessa, on the Black Sea.
A first depth competition in Bonaire.
Becoming a freediving instructor and working with Nataliia Zharkova.
The most recent World Championships and her results.
Out-break of invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Working at Freediving World Sharm El Sheikh, school of Andrea Zuccari.
The lead up to Belgrade world championships, and training and lack of training.
At the time of recording Kat's husband and mother were in Kharkiv, under pressure from the Russian invasion.
Shout out to all the great Ukrainian divers who aren't able to dive at the moment.
What are her current limitations to going deeper?
Shout out to Amber Bourke!
About No Fins and the possibility of a World Record.
What complementary training does Kat do?
How much help did a synchronised swimming background give her?
Nutrition and the importance of Coca Cola.
Has she had much experience with lung barotrauma?
Crucial advice for aspiring deep divers.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS
Kateryna's swimwear brand: 
https://saobrand.com
Why does she freedive?