Freediving Seminars

November 28 - December 14, 2008, Montreal, Quebec

As part of the many events organized by Canada's national governing body for the sport of freediving, AIDA Canada, William Winram taught a beginner workshop, an advanced workshop and gave a conference during his stay in Montreal.

The advanced workshop was designed to be an intensive training camp that combined lectures and demonstrations with the practical application of the theories and techniques in real time training and workouts. It took place over nine consecutive days, anywhere between 3 to 5 hours a day.

The goal was to give the participants the understanding of the various pieces that come together to make a proper breath-hold training program and the information they needed to put together their own individual training program.

Here is what some of the participants had to say about the advanced workshop:

..."This workshop was the best way for me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. William is supportive, he turns complicated concepts into accessible information and is generous with his knowledge. His passion for the sport is contagious. Now, all I need is to apply myself and reap the rewards. I trust that with time and effort, I can apply what I have learned and go beyond my current limits"... Patrick T.

..."I think I speak for all participants when I say that the coaching we received from William was a major eye-opener. Most notably, I think we all feel that we were given the necessary tools to take our freediving from a very amateur level to one that is more physically demanding, more technically proficient and much more competitive. Very quickly, William was able to evaluate each participant's aptitudes and tailored our training accordingly. Probably most importantly, his approach is a holistic one. We looked at all the major components including technique, mental, stretching, breathing, finning, and timing. We'll have to wait a few months to see how that translates in competition but we already all have a new sense of purpose, thanks to William's time and dedication"... Philippe B.

..."Je ne peux qu'être comblé par le résultat de ce stage. William est un coach exceptionnel qui a un don pour coacher les gens, une sensibilité et une attention qui donne l'impression à chacun d'être spécial. Sa passion et son enthousiasme sont contagieux et il sait combiner un humour et une joie de vivre qui peut même donner l'impression qu'il ne se prend pas au sérieux, mais il ne faut pas se laisser berner, il présente une expertise solide et une profonde connaissance de notre sport et de la préparation physiologique et psychologique à la performance. Peu d'athlète de haut niveau ont cette capacité de transmettre leur savoir-faire et de le rendre accessible à tous. William nous étonnera encore beaucoup par ses propres performances en tant qu'athlète mais il continuera à faire sa marque bien au-delà de cela par les performances des athlètes qu'il aura développés et inspirés à aller plus loin et à croire en eux"... François L.

Many thanks to the Club d'Apnée Sportive de Montréal (CASM) for taking care of the logistics to make these workshops possible and the Centre Sportif du Collège Edouard-Montpetit on the South shore of Montreal, in Longueuil, for graciously making the pool facilities available and staffing us with exceptionally friendly lifeguards.