There’s more than one way to skin a cat. There’s no magic breathe up, certain speed you must go, no perfect technique, or guaranteed wetsuit and fins that will give you a new personal best. Everyone is different. Find what works for you and develop that. Is it you, not the gear.

I really love good seafood, and I love the ocean and the water, so when I discovered that it was possible to spearfish off the coast of Los Angeles, I immediately blew my tax return on a speargun, cold water freediving gear and the rest is history.

This, I think is the key in freediving, first figuring out what it is that stops me specifically at a particular depth, as everyone is different, then finding and trying-out solutions to overcome it. It's only through this process that I can find solutions to break through the barriers. And it might take weeks, months or even years to surpass a certain depth, but well that's just how it is :)

The introduction of freediving into my life caused a very positive life shift. It has helped me become much more comfortable with all aspects of life and has helped me learn to push my self-imposed boundaries to the side and explore what it is I am capable of achieving.

With the upcoming 2018 CMAS World Championships in October, we will be profiling each of the members of Team America. Enjoy their stories. Get to know them, and we hope that you find a nugget of inspiration from their story. First profile, Ashleigh Baird.