With the upcoming 2019 CMAS World Championships in August we will be profiling each of the members of 2019 Team America. Enjoy their stories. Get to know them, and we hope that you find a nugget of inspiration from their story.
Elijah Aasand
How long have you been freediving?
Since I was a kid I was always snorkeling and diving down, but I never did anything deep until my first freediving class in 2014. In 2016 I did my first amateur competition, that's when I really began training.
What, or who, inspired you to freedive?
As a kid my brother Nick was into spearfishing. I remember thinking how crazy it was that he could hold his breath so long and how deep he could dive. I looked up to him a lot, so I guess that what really made me what to do it. Also the marine life, when I decided to take a class it was so I could go deeper and get closer, I just love the underwater world.
Why do you freedive? And what has it done for you?
I think freediving is one of those things that once you get into, you just fall in love with it. It can feel like you're flying in space, and it's filled with other worldly creatures. There's always something new to see or experience. Freediving has connected me to this wonderful community of divers.
What are your future goals for freediving?
The only real goals I have now is to do well on my dives in the upcoming Caribbean Cup and World Championships, and to increase my PB in the Bi-fins discipline. That and to explore more of the reefs here in Roatan. It amazingly beautiful and so different compared to what I'm used to in Hawaii. As for the far future, who knows.
What is your profession and other hobbies?
I'm a tour guide in Kauai, I teach people how to snorkel, and bring them to see the beautiful Napali coast. When not freediving I enjoy surfing, SCUBA, and hiking, and the occasional Netflix binge.
What advice about freediving would you like to offer our readers?
Take a freediving course. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. It changed my life. Since then I've done things I'd have never have thought possible for myself. If you're just getting into freediving you'll be surprised at what you’re truly capable of.