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Wil Dasovich sets national record for underwater breath hold
From being a cancer survivor to a professional freediver, nothing is quite impossible for Wil Dasovich.
On Tuesday, Wil took to Instagram to share an unforgettable achievement in his life: setting a national record for underwater breath hold, also known as the sport of Static Apnea (STA).
After rigorous training, Wil was able to set a Philippine record of five minutes and 39 seconds, which was recognized by AIDA International, a world-renowned rule- and record-keeping body for competitive breath-holding events.
According to the social media star, he stumbled upon the idea of STA by watching videos of freediving expert Florian Dagoury.
“I quietly fanboyed, slid in his DMs &[and] said [I] thought he was cool and asked how he became an amphibious mutant,” Wil said in the caption.
“He surprisingly replied [and] told me he can turn me into a mutant just like him with his [3-month] plan,” he added.
Since then, Wil has started his journey on STA by undergoing meticulous workshops and weekly meetings.
“Moral of the story, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help[,] and if you want to be the best, learn from the best!” the Filipino-American vlogger wrote.
He then thanked Florian for inspiring him to get out of his comfort zone.
“Thank you [Florian] for this superhuman ability I will cherish for the rest of my life,” he said.
It didn’t end there. Two days after setting a national record of five minutes and 39 seconds, Wil has yet again beat his own record and went up to five minutes and 44 seconds.
“Now that I have the long breath holds down, depth diving and dynamic swimming should be a lot easier and enjoyable with my enhanced lungs!” he said.
“[I] can’t wait to get in the ocean and learn more disciplines in this beautiful sport,” he added.
Wil said he might compete again in the future, but for now, he intends to “rest and celebrate.”
“Thank you to everyone who has been celebrating alongside me through your posts and comments. It means a lot!”
In August 2017, Wil was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and announced he survived it in February 2018.
Two months after he announced that he was cancer-free, Wil was named Vlogger of the Year at the 10th Annual Shorty Awards in New York City.
—Hermes Tunac/JCB, GMA Integrated News
