I wanted to share this yesterday, but did not get around to doing it. This was what I was up to over the weekend; volunteering as a Safety Diver in a mock freediving competition organized by my freediving school, Freediving Adventure Malaysia.

This is my third time volunteering in a freediving competition since I started freediving. My first and second was back in Nov 2023 as an emcee and Dec 2023 as a Safety Diver.

Some of my buddies asked me; why do I still want to volunteer as a crew or a Safety Diver when I can participate in the competition as an athlete instead? Enough is enough. I’ve done this twice. Why should I do this for the third time?

Well, each and every one of these competitions offers me a great learning experience beyond what a classroom could ever offer me. Just because I chose not to walk the athlete path does not mean I don’t get to grow as a freediver. There are many aspects of freediving that you can participate in and competing is not the only way to grow.

In all honesty, I’ve learned to handle real life scenarios in real setting and not just a make-believe one. Besides, if everyone wants to be an athlete and shine, who’s going to take up the role as safety?

While being a Safety Diver is not always appreciated and is always under people’s scrutinization, it still gives me the sense of fulfillment that I am able to give back to the community. Knowing that I have done the best I can to serve when others only knows how to talk is really satisfying.

For those who would like to give back to the community, regardless of what community it is, just remember this, there will always be Negative Nancy and Downer Dan around who would always find faults in you when we are involved in volunteer works, there will always be people who will discourage you. People aren’t always thankful either and it’s a really difficult path to walk on, but don’t let that stop you from being the passionate and good person you are. Whatever they say is a projection of their own lack of empathy and competency.

That said, I’d like to thank Freediving Adventure Malaysia for the opportunity to grow as a freediver in a unique way. And to all the athletes, it doesn’t matter if you received a white card , yellow card or even a red card. You are already a winner in your own rights. Thank you for the great display of sportsmanship 😉