PokeEarn Interview Shinya Oi & Hanako Hirose | PokeEarn Official Site | PokeEarn

Freediving means going deep, far, and long underwater on a single breath. For most people, it's a world beyond imagination. First, we asked Hirose, who also excels in open-water disciplines, about the appeal of diving in the sea.

"What draws me in is being able to go into nature and find my potential as a living creature. When I reach a meter deeper than before, the world changes and I feel reborn. I'm captivated by that feeling and I can't stop. Even after setting a record, my desire to experience what lies beyond never runs out."

Oi, who has long boasted overwhelming strength in pool disciplines, says that "pushing to the limit is the appeal."

"It feels like I'm running experiments using my own body, to see what changes with what kind of training. I chase records too, but if that's all there is, you hit a wall somewhere. A record is a waypoint. My awareness is that it's part of the overall process of 'pushing to the limit.'"

To push things even further, Oi has enlisted the help of a university professor and incorporates scientific training.

"In this sport, where taking in oxygen is important, I incorporate training in low-oxygen environments to acclimate my body efficiently."

Being able to grasp his own state objectively through data is another benefit of scientific training, Oi says.

"I used to gauge whether I was in good form by feel, but when I look at the data it can be quite off. I want to convert everything that can be turned into numbers into numbers, and right now I've even fixed my fin kicks at 14 per 50 meters. Even so, in the end subjectivity matters too, and that's what makes freediving so deep."

In freediving, raising your heart rate wastes oxygen underwater. The mental side is said to be crucial, but Oi, who builds up his preparation logically, doesn't get nervous during the real event.

"I make sure there's no boundary between practice and the real thing. I handle everything the same way, how I put on my gear, how I enter the pool, every motion, so I can face the real event with the same mindset as practice. I don't focus on the outcome, I just make sure to reliably do what I need to do right now."

By contrast, Hirose brings herself into a nervous state for the real event.

"At events I feel I can bring out my maximum when I'm nervous. So I deliberately put pressure on myself, like setting high goals. In my case, doing that lets me produce performance beyond what I show in practice."

Bringing herself into a nervous state happens before entering the water. Once she dives, Hirose says she is always picturing images in her mind.

"I let pleasant images, happy images, flow through my mind. As I dive, I try to bring myself into a state like sleeping or dreaming, and I grow calm."

It may sound graceful, but this is a world beyond depths of 100 meters. How does Hirose withstand the high water pressure?

"In situations where the depth increases, as in freediving, our bodies engage physiological mechanisms to adapt to the water pressure. Through training we raise that adaptive capacity."

With two Japanese record holders together for this occasion, we asked them to talk about each other's strengths. First, Oi's strengths as seen by Hirose.

"He's unbelievably mentally tough. Beyond the competition itself, entering several disciplines as an athlete while also organizing the event is unbelievable. I'm the type who wants to focus on myself."

Oi is now not only an athlete but also someone who helps attract events and serves on the organizing committee. He describes Hirose's strength as her "indomitable spirit."

"No matter how many times I fall, I get right back up. When I fail, rather than being discouraged, I make sure to turn that experience into fuel without fail. That's probably why she's strong."

The training introduced in this article is performed by competitive freedivers under the guidance of experts. For safety, please refrain from doing similar training without expert supervision.