Hold your breath
WORDS Luca Sommaruga Malaguti
Red Ambassador Luca Malaguti is a professional freediver and adventurer who has made it his mission to complete a range of extreme challenges around the globe, all in aid of mental health awareness. In his own words, he talks about his adventures to Iceland and Greenland, where his love for the extreme cold began, and what he has learnt about overcoming mental challenges. Why Iceland? Why Greenland? What draws us to explore these mysterious lands? The answer is simple – the icebergs. Whether its paddleboarding around them, freediving under them or ice climbing over them, all of these activities are extremely dangerous. They are constantly moving, unpredictable and dynamic. So why did we embark on something that is considered one of the most dangerous challenges in the world? The fact that 90% of the iceberg’s mass is hidden beneath the water is symbolic of how we often hide our own emo- tions and mental difficulties. In today’s society, we often suppress our problems, depressions and traumas – hiding them just like an iceberg’s mass. Freediving under an iceberg takes a lot of courage, patience and resistance – the same traits needed to face up to our own emotions, traumas and anxieties. We too need to dive into ourselves and confront our issues in order to improve our mental health and well-being.
PHOTOS Luke Adams, Luca Sommaruga Malaguti, Jimmy Martinello
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