Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hold your breath for minutes on end, descending 300 feet and more under water? In this extraordinary talk -- part meditation, part heart-stopping adventure -- world champion free diver William Trubridge not only takes you there, but offers a profound answer to the question: "Why do you do it?"

William Trubridge is one of the world's premier free divers. In 2005 William was the first free diver to dive at Dean's Blue Hole, now recognized as the world's premier free diving venue and site of the annual Vertical Blue event. There he broke his first world record in the discipline of CNF (Constant Weight No Fins) in April 2007, diving to 81m. Since then he has broken this record multiple times. In 2010 he became the first human to descend to 100m (330 feet) during Project Hector, an event aimed at bringing awareness to the plight of New Zealand's critically endangered Hector's and Maui's Dolphins species. In July 2016 he furthered this record to 102m (334 feet) as part of the Steinlager "Born to Defy" project, which was broadcast live to New Zealand television. William also holds the world record in Free Immersion, with 124m (406 feet), set at Vertical Blue in May 2016.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx